CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Making her first collegiate start, freshman Ali Morris recorded a career-best 16 kills while fifth-year senior Merry Gebel recorded her second straight double-double as Western Carolina earned a hard-fought 3-1 win over Wofford Friday night in Southern Conference volleyball action on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.

WCU improves to 15-8 overall and 8-3 in the SoCon while Wofford drops to 13-11 and 5-7.

Morris bested her previous career-high of nine kills earlier in the season in the season opener against Kennesaw State as well as later in the year against Appalachian State. She had five kills in both the first and fourth sets. Gebel's eighth double-double of the year and 64^th of her career came as a result of 15 kills and 13 digs. Junior Destinee Dorsey led the Catamounts with 16 digs while sophomore Sarah Janourova had a team-best 23 assists.

Sarah MacLean, Millie Loehr, and Bella Zeman each had 10 kills to lead Wofford offensively. Abbey Richman had a team-best 17 digs. Victoria Hensley had 33 assists.

Leading 14-13 in the opening set, the Catamounts took four of the next five points for an 18-14 lead. The Terriers pulled to within a point, 21-20 on a MacLean kill and evened the set at 22 thanks to a Zeman kill. The Catamounts used a Gebel kill and a Terrier error to gain set point before Eden Punch kill clinched the set for the Catamounts.

Tied at 12 in the second set, Wofford grabbed a 17-13 lead to cap a 5-1 spurt. WCU pulled to within three points but would get no closer as the Terriers took the frame to even the match.

With the third set even at 13, the Catamounts tallied five straight points for an 18-13 lead and led 21-15 following a Morris kill. Wofford didn't go quietly as the Terriers chipped away at the WCU advantage and grabbed a 23-22 lead following a Catamount error. The Catamounts took the next two points before Wofford stayed alive with a MacLean kill to tie the set at 24. Undeterred, the Catamounts took a 25-24 lead with a Livi Weidmann kill before Punch closed out the set with a kill.

A Meghan Yaffa kill gave Wofford an 11-9 lead in the fourth set but the Catamounts fought back, pulling ahead 15-13 with a Johnna Robinson block. Tied at 21, a Morris kill followed by a pair of Terrier errors gave WCU a 23-21 edge. Wofford would twice cut the Catamount lead to a point before Robinson clinched the match with a kill.

The tightly-contested match featured a total of 12 lead changes and 31 ties.

WCU remains at home Saturday, facing The Citadel at 6 p.m.

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