CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina's 2025 volleyball season preview continues with a look at the largest group of the Catamounts in the middle blocker position, led by the lone two seniors on the squad. The two seniors are joined by a pair of sophomores and a true freshman to round out the five on the 2025 roster.
2025 WCU Volleyball Position Previews:
Setters
Outside Hitters
Middle Blockers
Liberos
The Catamounts' defensive unit looks to the 2025 senior class with Samantha Jo Mikosky and Janelle Blue, who both come off of solid junior seasons for WCU. Blue and Mikosky are joined by sophomores Meleah Foster and Courtney Graham, with newcomer Tatum Sharp (Loveland, Colo./Thompson Valley HS) rounding out the quintet.
Mikosky, Foster, and Blue could additionally see time on the right side of the Catamounts' rotations throughout the 2025 season.
Mikosky returns following a successful debut season in Cullowhee after spending two seasons at Temple. She played in 28 matches with 19 starts that spanned 79 sets, where she totaled 73 blocks, averaging just under a block per set.
Originally from Bethlehem, Pa., Mikosky tallied a season-high eight blocks in a road win over American, as she finished a combined 15 matches with multiple rejections for WCU. She also paced the Catamounts in blocks on six different occasions, securing seven blocks and seven kills in a sweep of Winthrop. On the offensive side, Mikosky had nine kills against American and eight kills against Campbell to highlight her two best offensive showings from 2024.
Mikosky is joined by fellow senior Janelle Blue, who had her best year in a Catamount uniform in 2024. Blue finished third in the league with 111 blocks, averaging 1.09 blocks per set, which was also third-best in the SoCon. She was one of just four players in the league to eclipse the century mark for swats on the season. Blue tallied a career-high 14 rejections in a five-set win over American, which helped her garner SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors. She also picked up nine stops in a home matchup with SoCon foe Wofford.
A Clover, S.C. native, Blue finished with multiple blocks in 27 matches and led the team in rejections 14 times, and along with Logan Carr, was one of three duos in the SoCon to have a pair of players in the top 10 in blocks. She also added 156 kills on the offensive end, which included a career-best 13 kills against Chattanooga to close out the 2024 regular season.
Mikosky and Blue are joined by a pair of rising sophomores looking to make an impact on the court this fall.
Meleah Foster comes off a 2024 season where she appeared in a home bout against Mercer in late November, getting the start in that matchup against the Bears and recording a kill and a dig. Courtney Graham saw time in five matches during 2024 as she finished with a bang, tallying a career-best 10 kills in the regular season finale against Chattanooga before recording four kills in the tournament against UNCG. Graham was also key on the block down the stretch with 11 blocks, including four solos, over the final three matches against ETSU and the aforementioned UTC and UNCG.
The lone freshman amongst the middle blockers is Tatum Sharp, who spent her prep career at Thompson Valley High in Loveland, Colo. During her prep career, she eclipsed 1,000 career kills during her senior season, thanks in part to surpassing 300 kills twice. She was a three-time state champion and also finished as runner-up at the 4A level, while garnering four all-conference honors. Sharp was named four-time Offensive Player of the Year and four-time First-Team All-State. She was named to the USAV All-Tournament team and competed at the club ranks for Colorado Juniors.
Western Carolina continues its preparation for its lone exhibition match of the 2025 campaign as the Catamounts welcome NCAA D-II foe UNC Pembroke to Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center on Friday, Aug. 22, at 6 p.m. Admission to the exhibition and each home match is free of charge, courtesy of First Bank.
Following its exhibition on Aug. 22, Western Carolina pulls the curtain back on the 2025 regular season on Aug. 29 with a doubleheader against Texas Tech and Kent State at Florida Atlantic's on-campus arena. The Catamounts and the host Owls battle the next afternoon to close out the opening weekend in Boca Raton. All told, 12 of the squad's first 13 matches will be played away from the friendly confines of Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.
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).
