CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Junior Merry Gebel finished two kills shy of tying a career-high as she logged her ninth double-double of the season in a 3-1 Western Carolina victory over ETSU on Monday evening at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center. WCU won by scores of 21-25, 25-19, 25-17, and 25-22.

The Catamounts secured the season sweep with the win and improve to 5-6 overall and 5-4 in the Southern Conference. ETSU dropped its fourth straight match and is an even 4-4 on the season and in league matches.

Gebel finished with 23 kills, one kill shy of tying her career-high of 25 set at The Citadel on Feb. 2. The Wildwood, Mo., native had five kills in the opening set and six in each of the remaining three. Gebel added 14 digs defensively. Freshman Julia Gardon posted a career-high 14 kills along with a career-best 18 digs for her first career double-double. Senior Hannah Price had her second straight double-double with a match-best 54 assists and a season-high 19 digs. Freshman Destinee Dorsey paced the Catamounts with 23 digs.

Sara Esposito led four Bucs with double-figure kills with 14 followed by Jenna Forster and Sanne Maring with 13 and Asia Mattress with 10. Sydney Cherney logged a match-high 24 digs.

The tightly contested opening set featured three lead changes and eight ties. The Buccaneers broke open a 16-16 tie with three of the next four points and took the opening set on a Maring kill.

WCU staked its claim to an early 5-1 lead in the second set and led by no less than two points the rest of the way. A Gardon kill wrapped up the set and evened the match at 1.

Leading the third set 11-10, WCU scored six straight points for a 17-10 advantage. The Bucs would get no closer than five points the rest of the way as Gardon closed out the frame with consecutive kills.

ETSU scored the first two points of the fourth set before the Catamounts took the next three. With the set tied at 11, WCU scored three of the next four points and maintained a two-to-three point lead before consecutive Forster kills brought the visitors within one, 18-17. WCU took the next point and secured the match victory after consecutive ETSU attack errors closed out the match.

The Catamounts hit the road next weekend, venturing to Furman on Sunday for a 5 p.m. contest before wrapping up the series on Monday, March 8 at 6 p.m.

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