BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Junior Merry Gebel led Western Carolina with 12 kills, and classmate Haley Multerer tied a career-high with four block assists but the Catamounts dropped a 3-0 decision at Samford inside the Pete Hanna Center on Monday night. Samford won by scores of 25-21, 25-21, and 25-23.

Samford improves to 3-1 on the season and in Southern Conference play while WCU falls to 1-5 overall and 1-3 in league matches.

Gebel logged her fifth double-double of the season with 12 kills and 10 digs. Multerer's four block assists match a career high set against Chicago State and Drake during the 2019 season. Freshman Destinee Dorsey led WCU with 14 digs while senior Hannah Price had 16 assists. Redshirt sophomore Sydney Carlson, a Birmingham native, dished out 12 assists.

Lauren Deaton paced Samford with 15 kills followed by Sarah Hayes Farley with 12.

After a Johnna Robinson kill tied the opening set at 9, the Bulldogs went on a 4-0 run for a 13-9 lead. Samford would lead by no less than two points for the remainder of the frame as a Deaton kill closed out the opening stanza.

Following a Gebel kill which brought WCU within one, 17-16, Samford tallied three of the next four points for a 20-17 advantage in the second set. The Catamounts trimmed the deficit to 21-19 following a Robinson kill but Samford earned three of the next four points to take control of the set.

WCU took a 15-12 lead in the third set after Multerer and freshman Eden Punch teamed up for a block. With the set tied at 20, Samford pulled ahead thanks to consecutive Deaton kills but a Punch block kept the Catamounts within a point. The Bulldogs stretched their lead to 24-21 but the Catamounts battled back to keep the match alive, 24-23, thanks to a Samford error and an Ali Schreiber kill. Farley closed out the match with a kill.

The Catamounts open the home portion of the 2020-21 season on Sunday, welcoming Chattanooga to the Ramsey Center for a 3 p.m. start.

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