CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Junior Merry Gebel and senior Hannah Price both posted double-doubles but Western Carolina was unable to hold off a late Wofford rally in a 3-2 loss to the Terriers on Wednesday inside the Ramsey Regional Activity Center. Wofford won by scores of 17-25, 28-26, 18-25, 25-16, 19-17.

Wofford improves to 5-2 overall and in the Southern Conference. WCU drops to 3-6 and 3-4.

Price logged her second double-double of the year with a team-best 44 assists and 15 digs. The Piney Flats, Tenn., native moved into 10th place on WCU's career assists list with 1,970. Gebel had her seventh double-double of the year with a match-high 20 kills and 17 digs. Freshman Julia Gardon recorded a career-best 13 kills while classmate Ali Schreiber had a career-high seven kills. Sophomore Johnna Robinson swatted a career-best four solo blocks.

Bella Zeman led the Wofford offense with 18 kills followed by Sarah Barham (14), Meghan Yaffa (12), and Riley Coonan (11). Reigning SoCon Setter of the Week Emily Hodsdon dished out a match-high 55 assists and libero Abbey Richman had a match-best 32 assists.

Leading the opening set 12-9, a kill by Robinson sparked a 10-3 Catamount run as a Gardon kill put the hosts ahead 22-12. The Terriers used a pair of Chasidy Sharpe service aces to pull within seven, 24-17 before a Gebel kill closed out the set. WCU hit a match-best .484 in the opening set, recording 17 kills with just two errors on 31 total attacks.

The tightly contested second set featured five lead changes and 11 ties. WCU battled back from a late 23-21 deficit to tie the set at 24 thanks to a Wofford attack error. The teams exchanged kills before Wofford pulled ahead 26-25 on a Yaffa kill. Another Wofford error kept WCU alive before a Zeman kill and a Terrier block tied the match at one-set apiece.

The Catamounts raced out to a 10-5 lead in the third set and led by as many as eight points before a kill by Gardon gave the hosts a 2-1 edge in the match.
Wofford broke open a close fourth set in the middle stages, grabbing a 15-8 advantage at the midpoint to force the deciding fifth set.

WCU won the first three points of the final frame and pulled ahead 13-8 after a Gebel kill. Wofford wouldn't go quietly, though, tying the match at 14 on a block by Coonan. The teams were neck-and-neck for the next six points before another Coonan block and a service ace concluded the match.

The Catamounts remain at home this weekend, hosting ETSU in a weekend set on Sunday at 3 p.m. and Monday at 5 p.m. Both matches will be broadcasted on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).

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