CULLOWHEE, N.C. – After a 13-game season-opening stretch away from home, the Western Carolina volleyball team plays its first matches on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center this weekend when the Catamounts welcome Mercer on Friday and Samford on Saturday in a pair of 6 p.m. contests.
Admission to both weekend matches is free of charge and fans can attend without capacity restrictions. Parking is available in the Creek Lots across from the Ramsey Center and fans are asked to enter the Ramsey Center through the truck tunnel entrance. Under current campus regulations, the proper wearing of face coverings over the nose and mouth is required for all spectators regardless of vaccination status indoors within campus facilities.
Live stats for both matches are available via links on CatamountSports.com. Both matches will also be streamed on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required).
Sophomore
Destinee Dorsey was named the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday after logging 42 total digs for an average of 6.0 digs per set last weekend as WCU opened its conference schedule. Other Catamount stat leaders from the opening weekend of league play include junior
Johnna Robinson who recorded 14 total blocks including a career-best 10 against Chattanooga on Sept. 25. Offensively,
Merry Gebel led WCU with 25 kills and 3.57 kills per set.
Three-quarters of the four-team conference championship contenders from the spring will be in action in Cullowhee this weekend. In addition to the Catamounts, WCU's two opponents advanced to the title game back in April with top-seeded Samford downing the second-seeded Bears in Birmingham.
Entering the weekend, Mercer is 5-8 overall and 1-1 in league matches, defeating The Citadel 3-0 at home on Friday night and dropping a 3-1 decision against Wofford on Saturday. WCU leads the all-time series 19-11 and has swept the season series in each of the last two seasons.
Samford is 3-10 overall but 2-0 in conference play with home wins over Wofford and The Citadel. The Bulldogs played Power Five foes Clemson, Florida State, Ole Miss, and LSU in nonconference play, dropping each match. The Bulldogs lone nonconference win was a 3-1 triumph over UT Martin. Samford is the reigning SoCon regular season and tournament champion.
The Catamounts return to the road next weekend, heading to Furman on Oct. 8 and Wofford on Oct. 9 in a pair of 7 p.m. matches.
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).
