Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina returns to the friendly confines of Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center for the final two matches of the regular season, opening the two-game weekend homestand with a visit from chromatic rival Furman on Friday night before welcoming Mercer on Saturday in the backend of a football-volleyball doubleheader to close the regular season.
Friday's matchup with the Paladins is slated for first serve at 6 p.m. and has been dubbed a "White Out," with fans encouraged to wear their white WCU gear to match the team. Saturday's match against the Bears is Senior Night, as part of the "Hike & Spike Doubleheader" with Catamount football, which hosts ETSU at Noon. Seniors Samantha Jo Mikosky and Janelle Blue will be recognized before Saturday's match.
Admission for both matches is free of charge, courtesy of First Bank, with both scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.
MATCH #1 PREVIEW
Furman (19-7, 10-4 SoCon) vs Western Carolina (7-18, 3-11 SoCon)
Date: Friday, Nov. 14, 2025
Time: 6 p.m.
Site: Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center (Cullowhee, N.C.)
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Twitter: @CatamountVB
MATCH #2 PREVIEW
Mercer (9-18, 5-9 SoCon) vs Western Carolina
Date: Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025
Time: 6 p.m.
Site: Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center (Cullowhee, N.C.)
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Twitter: @CatamountVB
From the Service Line:
The Catamounts return to Cullowhee for the final time in 2025 after falling in a pair of four-set decisions at Samford and Chattanooga last weekend. Freshman Samantha Kranzler led the offensive attack with 20 kills, as she tallied 17 kills and 15 digs in Friday's matchup with the Mocs. Freshman Tatum Sharp added 19 kills, followed by classmate Abbie Willis with 17 kills. Sophomore Courtney Graham added 15 kills to the offensive output in Birmingham and Chattanooga. Junior Katie Boney tallied 72 helpers, at nine assists per set, to go along with 12 digs, three blocks, and a pair of kills.
Sophomore Halley Tang led the way on the defensive end with 42 digs, averaging 5.25 per set, and Kranzler added 26, followed by 21 from junior Eda Yalçinkaya. Sharp led the block with seven rejections, followed by six from Graham as the duo combined for five solo stops.
On the season, Boney continues to lead the league in assists with 903, the lone player in the SoCon with more than 900 helpers, while also holding the top spot in assists per set (10.15). Graham ranks fourth in blocks with 101 stops, one of four in the league to eclipse 100 rejections, and is third in blocks per set at 1.17. Yalçinkaya is sixth in the league with 339 digs, and is sixth in digs per set (3.81).
In SoCon play, Boney ranks second in the league with 502 assists, while also holding the top spot in assists per set (10.24), playing in four fewer sets than the leader in total assists. Tang ranks eighth in league contests with 179 digs, followed by Yalçinkaya in eighth in digs (174). Graham is sixth in SoCon play with 51 blocks.
About Furman (19-7, 10-4 SoCon) – 2025 RPI 147
Furman enters the weekend off an impressive five-set win over previously unbeaten ETSU, with a win over Wofford preceding last Saturday's triumph over the Bucs. The Paladins come in hot, winning six of seven. Furman has posted a 10-2 mark in Greenville, compared to a 4-4 mark in true road matches.
The Paladins maintain control of the all-time series, holding a 51-38 advantage in the head-to-head battles, including wins in each of the last five matches. The two squads have been tight in battles in Cullowhee, with the Catamounts holding a 21-18 edge in the all-time meetings at home as part of the chromatic rivalry. Furman has won the last three in Cullowhee to tighten the head-to-head series, winning over WCU in three back on Oct. 18.
Furman is led on both ends of the court by sophomore Tennyson Gorman with a team-high 250 kills, ninth in the SoCon, adding a conference-high 142 blocks. She also garnered a pair of Defensive Player of the Week awards this season, including this past week. Sophomore Ashley Stein has 231 kills as she's tallied five double-doubles on the season. Junior Lindsay Walch has 190 kills, followed closely behind by classmate Izzy Castelloe with 183.
Junior Emily Navarro has tallied the fifth-most assists in the SoCon with 497 helpers, recording nine double-doubles. Sophomore Quinn Morrissey has 304 assists with three double-doubles, and senior Eva Wheeler has totaled 215 helpers for Furman. The Paladins lead the league with 161 service aces, led by junior Kennedy Seekford with 28, followed by 24 for freshman Ashtan Dodson and 22 from Stein. As a team, Furman has seven players with 14 or more aces, led by Seekford with 28.
On defense, Seekford leads the way with 403 digs, fifth in the SoCon, followed by Stein with 215, Dodson with 202, and Navarro with 188 digs. Following Gorman's league-best 142 rejections, Castelloe has 65 stops, and freshman Kacie Moore has 51 blocks in 2025.
Michelle Young, a three-time SoCon Coach of the Year honoree, is in her 26th season at Furman.
About Mercer (9-18, 5-9 SoCon) – 2025 RPI 262
Mercer makes the trek to Birmingham to battle Samford on Friday before venturing to Cullowhee on Saturday to close out the regular season. The Bears fell in four sets to Wofford last time out, snapping a three-match win streak that included triumphs over The Citadel, Furman, and UNCG.
WCU looks to snap a three-match slide against the Bears, as Mercer earned three consecutive straight-set decisions over the Catamounts, including earlier this season in Macon. Leading in the overall series at 23-17, WCU also holds an 11-5 edge in the all-time series in matches held in Cullowhee.
Sophomore Sophia Henry, a preseason All-SoCon selection, leads the Bears offensively with a team-best 286 kills, ranking seventh in the league. Henry has tallied a pair of double-doubles on the season, including 15 kills and 11 digs against the Paladins at the beginning of November. Freshman Charlotte Thompson has 220 kills, followed by junior Avery Wilks with 160 kills for Mercer.
Sophomore Sammi Bergjans leads the Bears with 463 assists, with four double-doubles. Senior Jessica Dunn has a trio of double-doubles and 349 helpers in 2025.
On the defensive side, sophomore Aubri Martin ranks third in the league with 443 digs, surpassing 20 digs seven times, and has double-digit digs in all but four matches this season. Bergjans has 173 digs, followed by Henry with 155 digs, and senior Abbey Havrilla with 143 thus far in 2025. Sophomore Joselynn Sanjurjo leads the block for Mercer with 77 stops, followed by Wilks with 66 rejections.
Steve Benson leads the Bears in his first season at the helm in Macon. Benson most recently spent two years at the helm of Presbyterian, and previously led the men's volleyball program at Limestone.
What's Next for the Catamounts:
After Saturday's action in Cullowhee, the Catamounts turn their attention to the 2025 Ingles Southern Conference Volleyball Championship, hosted at the Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville, beginning on Thursday, Nov. 20, with the championship set for Sun., Nov. 23.
Tournament seedings and matchups will be announced following the conclusion of play on Saturday. All matches during the tournament will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), and live stats linked on CatamountSports.com. Tournament Central for the entire tournament can be found HERE.
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).
