Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina's 2025 volleyball season preview begins with a look at the setters, focusing on an upperclassman along with a new face joining the group as the Catamounts bid farewell to a four-year veteran from a season ago.
Head coach Karen Glover must replace Sarah Janourova, who became the 11th player in program history to eclipse the 2,000-assist plateau, while also finishing as the sixth different player in school history to eclipse the 1,000-dig mark, in addition to 2K assists in a Catamount uniform.
WCU's lone returning setter on the 2025 roster is rising junior Katie Boney, who is joined by freshman Danielle Wheat (Mount Olive, Ala.).
Boney returns to the Catamount offensive attack after a 2024 season that saw the Milton, Ga. native tally a team-high 543 assists, which ranked ninth in the SoCon and is fourth among returning student-athletes in the league. She begins her junior campaign just 175 assists shy of 1,000 helpers, which would make her the 17th different player in program history to reach the milestone.
Boney saw action in 27 matches in 2024 with six starts spanning 95 sets, where she averaged a team-best 5.72 assists per set. She tallied double-digit assists 23 times with a career-high 51 coming in a home bout against chromatic rival Furman. She also posted a career-best with 15 digs against the Paladins. The career night on the defensive end was one of her eight matches with double-digit digs and one of seven double-doubles as she's recorded nine in her two seasons with the Catamounts.
Boney is joined by freshman Danielle Wheat, who arrives in Cullowhee after a successful prep career in Alabama. Wheat garnered recognition for Under Armour Next in 2023 and was named an AVCA Phenom for three consecutive seasons beginning in 2022. She additionally played for the Alabama Performance Volleyball Club. Her continued development will be critical in aiding Boney on the offensive side, while also providing Glover options such as the 6-2 offense.
Western Carolina continues its preparation for its lone exhibition match of 2025 as the Catamounts welcome in-state NCAA Division-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 throughout the season 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 in doubleheader action 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.
WCU's 2025 position preview on CatamountSports.com continues with both the outside hitters, middle blockers, and liberos heading into the exhibition opening of the schedule.
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