CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina volleyball closes out the 2021 regular season with a pair of road matches this week, traveling to UNCG on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match before heading to The Citadel on Friday at 6 p.m.
 
Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available on catamountsports.com.
 
WCU is 11-14 overall and 7-7 in the Southern Conference after splitting a pair of home matches last weekend. WCU dropped a 3-2 decision on Friday against Wofford before a 3-0 triumph over Furman on Saturday. The Catamounts enter the week tied for fourth place in the league along with ETSU and Samford and split the season series against both teams. Sophomore Destinee Dorsey continues to lead the league in digs per set with 5.07, which ranks 23^rd among NCAA Division I student-athletes. Senior Merry Gebel and freshman Bailey Hartshough both rank in the SoCon in kills per set with average of 3.64 and 2.89 kills per set, respectively.
 
UNCG sits in second place thanks to a 10-4 league mark and is 21-6 on the season. The Spartans defended their home court last weekend with a 3-1 win against Furman on Friday followed by a 3-2 victory over Wofford on Saturday. Gabriela McHugh paces the league in assists per set with 10.54. The Spartans rank as one of the top defensive squads in the league with a SoCon-best 17.65 digs per set – just ahead of WCU in second (17.04) and averaging 2.28 blocks per set.
 
The Citadel is 10-10 overall and 6-8 in conference matches. The Bulldogs earned a 3-0 win at Furman on Nov. 3 and were off last weekend. Sharlissa de Jesus leads the league in kills per set with 4.41 while Kenzie Kellerman is third in the conference in digs per set with 4.65. 
 
Seedings and match times for the Southern Conference Tournament will be announced following the conclusion of regular-season matches on Saturday. The tournament is scheduled for Nov. 19-21 with Samford serving as the host school in Birmingham, Ala. 
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount volleyball and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts, @catamountvb), and Twitter (@catamounts, @catamountvb).