GREENVILLE, S.C. – Junior Sarah Janourova tallied her team-high 10th double-double of the season with 28 assists and 20 digs as Western Carolina volleyball suffered a 3-1 defeat against Furman at Alley Gymnasium on Friday night in Southern Conference volleyball action. The Paladins won the match by the scores of 20-25, 25-15, 25-22, 25-14. 

Ali Morris and Bailey Hartsough led the way offensively as both posted 11 kills in the contest, with Morris adding 13 digs and Hartsough finishing with 19 digs. Morris picked up her eighth double-double while it marked the seventh for Hartsough. Senior Livi Weidmann posted her fifth double-digit kill output of the season, including her third in SoCon matches with 10 kills. Janourova's double-double was her sixth in SoCon matches. She also added four kills to her stat line for a career-high. 

The Paladins were led by Mary Beth Headley on the offensive end on Friday with 14 kills while adding 13 digs to her stat line. Izzy Castelloe and Lauren Haynes each added 11 kills, with Haynes picking up 17 digs on the defensive end for Furman. Emily Navarro led the way for the hosts with 40 assists and 20 digs, adding four kills to her stat line. Kennedy Seekford led the way for the Paladins on the defensive end with 22 digs. Castelloe and Haynes each totaled a team-high three blocks. 

The opening set on Friday featured five ties in the early going as neither team was able to gain more than a two-point lead before a 7-3 run from Western Carolina (6-14, 3-6 SoCon) made it a 14-10 lead closing in on the midpoint. The Paladins scored six of the next nine points to cut the deficit to one, 17-16, with Hartsough connecting on a pair of kills that led to a Furman timeout. Furman managed to cut the deficit to two, 20-18, before a 5-2 WCU burst allowed the Catamounts to take set one by the score of 25-20.  

The Paladins started fast in set two with an early 11-6 lead to force a timeout by WCU in the early going. The hosts continued to put the pressure on with a 6-1 run, forcing the second Western Carolina timeout. After three points from the Paladins out of the stoppage, WCU went on an 8-3 run to cut the deficit to 23-15 before Furman claimed back-to-back points to even the match at a set apiece. 

The Catamounts started quickly in the third set with an 8-4 run out of the gates to gain an early advantage before a 6-2 burst from the Paladins evened the score at 10. The two teams went back and forth over the next several points, with a quick 3-1 spurt from WCU to allow the Catamounts to lead 15-14 at the media break. The two teams went back and forth for the next five points before a 4-1 burst from the Paladins made it 20-19, forcing a WCU timeout. Western quickly evened the set at 21 before the Paladins scored four of the final five points to claim set three 25-22. 

Furman (14-6, 5-4 SoCon) started quickly in the fourth set, scoring seven of the first eight points to claim the early advantage and force a WCU timeout. The Catamounts cut the deficit to five, 9-4, before a 6-1 run allowed the hosts to stretch the lead out. Furman continued to have an answer for any Catamount run as WCU cut it to eight, 18-10, before a 7-4 push down the stretch allowed the Paladins to claim the match in four sets. 

The Catamounts travel to Johnson City Saturday night for a 6 p.m. first serve against ETSU with the match to be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) and live stats available at CatamountSports.com.

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