Charlotte, N.C. – Western Carolina volleyball closed out its nonconference play on the wrong end of a sweep against Queens University on Friday night at the Curry Arena. Queens won the tight match 25-21, 25-19, 25-22 to earn the win from WCU, claiming the match by just 13 combined points over the three sets.

Western Carolina was again led by freshman Samantha Kranzler and junior Zoe Zudans as the pair both tallied nine kills for the Catamounts. Kranzler led the defensive end with nine digs and Zudans added three digs and a pair of blocks to her defensive effort. Sophomore Courtney Graham posted a career-high eight blocks to accompany five kills. Junior Katie Boney passed out a team-best 25 assists as she added two kills to her stat line.

Callie Deschryver and Elizabeth Layson led all players on Friday with 12 kills apiece, with Deschryver also recording 13 digs for the double-double. Mia McMillen finished with 10 kills and a .562 hitting percentage as she also tallied five digs and three blocks. Megan Kelly led the Royals with 20 assists and seven digs as Tyler Peluso added 13 assists and five digs for the hosts. Tilley Collins led all players with 16 digs in the contest.  

Friday's opening set featured eight ties in the early going before the Catamounts used a quick spurt by scoring four of five points to inch ahead, stretching the lead to four, 17-13, just past the midpoint of the set. However, Queens flexed its muscles down the stretch with a 12-4 run to flip the scoreboard and take the early lead 1-0 with the 25-21 set victory.

The second set likewise began tight, with neither team able to gain much footing before a 5-2 spurt gave the hosts a 15-11 lead at the media break. WCU quickly cut the deficit to three, 17-14, out of the stoppage, before seven unanswered points gave the Royals a late advantage. The Catamounts fought off set point with five in a row before the hosts claimed the 25-19 set victory to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

Queens took an early lead in the third set with a pair of four-point advantages at 11-7 and 14-10, before five points in a row from WCU staked the Catamounts to a 15-14 lead at the media break. The Catamounts extended the lead to 18-15 after the midpoint pause, before a 6-2 run from the Royals made it 21-20 late. WCU quickly tied it at 22 before three unanswered points from the Royals allowed the hosts to secure a straight-set decision.

Western Carolina (4-7) pulls the curtain back on its 2025 Southern Conference schedule with a trip to Charleston, S.C., on Friday, Sept. 26, to battle The Citadel before heading to Spartanburg for a matchup against preseason favorite Wofford. Friday's match with the Bulldogs is slated for a 4 p.m. start, followed by a 6 p.m. first serve in Spartanburg the next night. Both matches with the Bulldogs and Terriers are slated for ESPN+ (paid subscription required), as both contests will have live stats available on CatamountSports.com.

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