CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina volleyball opens the 2021 season this weekend at the Wildcat Classic hosted by Davidson against a pair of in-state foes including a mountain rival and a former SoCon opponent.

The Catamounts kick off the 2021 campaign on Saturday at Noon against mountain rival UNC Asheville at Davidson's Belk Arena. WCU concludes the tournament at 5 p.m. against the host Wildcats. Live stats for both matches will be available via links on catamountsports.com. The Davidson match will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).

WCU leads the all-time series against UNC Asheville 27-24 after a 3-0 sweep in the 2019 home opener. The teams have opened the season against each other on seven occasions, last occurring in 1997. In neutral site matchups, the Bulldogs enjoy a slim 5-4 advantage.

Western Carolina and Davidson have squared off 43 times previously, sharing a conference affiliation for 35 years. The Wildcats lead the series, 23-20. This will be the first matchup between the schools since Davidson departed the SoCon following the 2013-14 academic year.

After opening the season at the Wildcat Classic, the Catamounts remain on the road and head to Arizona for the GCU Classic where they will face Rider, Villanova, and tournament host Grand Canyon.

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).