CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina volleyball embarks on a season-long 14-match road swing this weekend, jumpstarting its 2024 schedule with a season-opening trip to Chapel Hill for the Carolina Classic, hosted by North Carolina at the historic Carmichael Arena.
WCU raises the curtain on the season against former Southern Conference foe the College of Charleston on Friday at 3 p.m. before battling Cleveland State the next afternoon at the same time. The tournament finale is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday against the host Tar Heels and will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Live stats for all three matches will be available on CatamountSports.com.
The 14 road matches to open the season are the longest road swing under 14th-year head coach Karen Glover and the first time WCU has had a 14-match road swing to begin a season since 1996, when the Catamounts played their first 15 away from Cullowhee.
Match One: Western Carolina vs College of Charleston
Date: Friday, Aug. 30
Time: 3 p.m.
Site: Carmichael Arena (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Twitter: @CatamountVB
Match Two: Western Carolina vs Cleveland State
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Time: 3 p.m.
Site: Carmichael Arena (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Twitter: @CatamountVB
Match Three: Western Carolina at North Carolina
Date: Sunday, Sept. 1
Time: 2 p.m.
Site: Carmichael Arena (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Live Video: ACC Network Extra
Twitter: @CatamountVB
Back to Serve:
Following the opening weekend tournament action, WCU battles another North Carolina directional foe at East Carolina before a midweek showdown against a third UNC system school in mountain-rival UNC Asheville. The second half of the nonconference slate begins with a trip to Buies Creek to battle Campbell before closing out pre-SoCon play at Georgia Southern. The Catamounts open SoCon play with a road bout at The Citadel before returning to Cullowhee for the first time in regular-season play on Sept. 27 vs Mercer.
Catamount Career Record Watch:
Senior Sarah Janourova (1,629 ast, 754 digs, 77 aces):
The Prague, Czech Republic native begins the 2024 campaign needing just 371 assists to become the 11th player in program history to surpass the 2,000 helper mark ... Janourova is looking to become the first Catamount to eclipse 2,000 career assists since Hannah Price (2017-20) who totaled 2,324 assists in her time at WCU ... Janourova finished 2023 fifth in the SoCon with 731 assists to pace the Catamounts ... She also sits within striking distance of the 1,000 dig plateau needing 246 of those to surpass that mark ... Janourova also needs just 23 service aces to eclipse 100 for her career as she looks to become the 16th WCU student-athlete to reach that mark - – chasing that benchmark along with classmate Bailey Hartsough.
Senior Bailey Hartsough (837 kills, 753 digs, 80 aces):
Hartsough opens her final season in Cullowhee looking to eclipse numerous milestones as she needs just 163 kills to become the 16th Catamount in program history to surpass 1,000 career kills ... She would become the first student-athlete for WCU to eclipse 1,000 kills since Merry Gebel (2018-22) moved all the way up to the No. 2 spot in career kills with 1,693 ... A product of LaGrange, Ind., Hartsough enters 2024 with 753 career digs, needing just 247 to climb to the 1,000 dig mark for WCU ... Hartsough needs 20 service aces to eclipse 100 for her career looking to become the 16th student-athlete in Catamount volleyball history to reach that mark – chasing that benchmark along with classmate Janourova.
SCOUTING THE FIELD:
College of Charleston (14-16, 11-7 CAA in 2023) – RPI 199
Friday's opening service for the Catamounts comes from a former league foe, College of Charleston. WCU and CofC have not met on the volleyball court since 2012 when Charleston earned a 3-1 decision in Cullowhee. Friday's action also marks the first time the two squads have met in neutral site action since the 1999 conference tournament that saw a straight-set win for the Catamounts.
The College of Charleston enters 2024 after a 14-17 season in 2023 under the direction of 17th-year head coach Jason Kepner, who's totaled over 340 wins during his time in the Holy City. Kepner has helped lead the Cougars to nine conference titles and five NCAA tournament appearances over his time in Charleston.
The Cougars return the 2023 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Libero of the Year in Tynley Smeltzer as she tallied the third most digs in the CAA with 424 along with tying for the most service aces for the Cougars. Senior Anna Smith returns as the Cougars top offensive threat totaling 288 kills a season ago and also tallying 44 blocks. The Cougs return all three of their primary setters for 2024 in Emma Appleman (387 assists), Jasmin Goei (354), and Hannah Scott (315).
College of Charleston holds a 22-10 lead in the all-time head-to-head matchups with the Catamounts in a series that dates back to 1979. The Cougars have won each of the last 18 bouts. The Cougars are picked third in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) preseason poll led by three honorees on the preseason all-conference team. Smeltzer along with Allie Holland both were pitck to the All-CAA Volleyball Team while Emily Banitt received honorable mention from the conference.
Cleveland State (17-14, 10-8 Horizon in 2023) – RPI 193
After the Vikings duel with the host Tar Heels on Friday, Cleveland State and WCU are set to do battle on the volleyball court for just the second time in the two program's histories – and for the first time in 15 years since Cleveland State claimed a 3-0 sweep in Cullowhee.
Cleveland State finished 2023 with a 17-14 record including a 10-8 mark in the Horizon League as the Vikings advanced to the league's semifinals before falling to eventual champion Wright State. First-team All-Horizon League selection Liberty Torres who totaled 359 kills – eighth in the Horizon League – led the Vikings. Emma Walker garnered a second-team selection following the 2023 season after posting the third-most digs in the league with 595 and tallying a team-high 30 service aces. Madison Olinger paces the Vikings in top returners on the block with 94 rejections as Cleveland State led the conference in blocks per set during the 2023 campaign.
The Vikings are led by 24th-year head coach and six-time Horizon League Coach of the Year Chuck Voss who's won 410 games in his career at Cleveland State. Voss has directed the Vikings to both five regular-season and five tournament titles, compiling eight 20-win campaigns. Cleveland State enters the 2024 season picked fifth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll led by 2023 All-Conference selections in Torres and Walker along with a pair of All-Academic picks in Olinger and Laken Voss.
North Carolina (13-14, 7-11 ACC in 2023) – RPI 102
Sunday's tournament finale for WCU comes against event host North Carolina out of the ACC to wrap up the first weekend of tournament action for the Catamounts. This marks the third straight season that the Catamounts have battled an ACC opponent, facing Wake Forest, NC State, and Virginia Tech in 2022 with Clemson and Florida State in 2023.
The Tar Heels enter 2024 after a 13-14 record during 2023 including going 7-11 in the ACC. North Carolina earned five wins over Top 100 RPI opponents during the 2023 season including Coastal Carolina, Duke, Clemson, Wake Forest, and Boston College. Mabrey Shaffmaster returns as the top offensive threat from last season as she totaled 364 kills and added a team-high 37 aces. Emani' Foster returns for her graduate season with 270 kills to go along with Shaffmaster's offensive attack from last season. Zoe Behrendt returns as the Tar Heels top setter with 390 assists and 21 aces as all-freshman team selection Sydney Nolan totaled 69 blocks to go along Sadie Swift's team-high 104 rejections.
Western Carolina claimed the only prior meeting between the two schools that came back in Sept. 1982 when the Catamounts earned a 2-1 win over the Tar Heels. WCU has a pair of wins over ACC foes in the past two seasons including wins over Wake Forest and NC State in 2022.
The Tar Heels are led by second-year head coach Mike Schall who spent five seasons on the staff in Chapel Hill before beginning as the head coach during the 2023 season. Schall spent time on the staff at Penn State to begin his collegiate coaching career before advancing to UNC with a stop at the Triangle Volleyball Club. Led by Shaffmaster, who was one of 18 student-athletes honored by the league's coaches on the preseason all-league team, the Tar Heels were tabbed 10th in the 2024 conference preseason poll.
Following Sunday's finale with North Carolina, the Catamounts travel to East Carolina for the Pirate Invitational. WCU is set to battle Texas A&M-Commerce and N.C. A&T on Friday, Sept. 6 before facing off against the host Pirates the next afternoon. The matchup against ECU will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available on CatamountSports.com.
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