Spartanburg, S.C. – Western Carolina volleyball wrapped up a busy stretch of on-court action Friday night in its nonconference finale, falling in straight sets to USC Upstate at the GB Hodge Center in the back end of a back-to-back, home-and-home. The Spartans claimed the match, 25-17, 25-21, 25-22.
Junior Peri Subat led the WCU offense with seven kills, adding a pair of digs. Freshman JoJo Abeyta, junior transfer Sophia Marini, and senior Zoe Zudans each recorded four kills, with Abeyta hitting a new career-best for WCU. Sophomore transfer Brookleyn Nance, sophomore Tatum Sharp, and senior Katie Boney added three kills apiece.
Boney capped the week with another double-double, her sixth of the season, dishing out 20 assists with 14 digs. She added three kills and a trio of blocks.
Defensively, sophomore Elise Gurley followed Boney's team-best 14 digs with 11 of her own. Sharp added five blocks, while Nance and sophomore Samantha Kranzler added two apiece.
USC Upstate was led by Summer Kohler with a match-high 13 kills, adding 14 digs and five assists. Kensley Haneline finished with 11 kills and three blocks, along with a .450 hitting percentage. Sarah O'Connor led the Spartans with 16 assists, followed closely by Kamyla Vega David, who recorded 14 assists and six digs. Sophia Overholt tallied 18 digs to lead the hosts. Savannah Page finished with four blocks for Upstate on Friday night.
USC Upstate used early runs of 8-3 and 5-1 to take control of the first set at 13-6. After the two sides traded quick bursts in three-point succession, the Spartans responded with another run to stretch the lead back to eight. After back-to-back WCU kills, the hosts clinched the 25-17 opening-set win.
Six early ties kept the set tight through the first half of the second stanza before WCU inched ahead 17-15. The Spartans responded with a 10-4 run down the stretch to take a 2-1 lead with a 25-21 win.
Western Carolina broke away from the five early ties with a 7-1 burst for a 12-8 lead in the third set. USC Upstate battled back, though, scoring 10 of the next 14 points of the match to jump back in front by two, 18-16. The set remained tight as the Catamounts battled back to within one, 20-19. The Spartans won the race to 24, and Kranzler and Abeyta extended the match with kills before the hosts earned a 25-22 sweep.
Western Carolina (4-9) turns its attention to Southern Conference play, which commences on Friday, Sept. 25, when the Catamounts travel to UNCG for a back-to-back showdown with the Spartans in the new league scheduling.
Friday's opener is slated for a 6 p.m. start, with Saturday's action tabbed for a 3 p.m. first serve. Both matches will air on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), and live stats will be available via a link at CatamountSports.com.
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 X (@catamounts, @catamountvb).
