WCU Volleyball Sweeps SoCon Co-Leader Mercer

Cullowhee, NC – Freshman Ashlyn Cobb posted a career-high offensive night as Western Carolina volleyball opened Homecoming weekend with a straight-set win over Mercer in Southern Conference home action on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. The Catamounts earned their second straight sweep of the season, 25-23, 25-23, 25-15.

As a team, WCU posted season highs in a three-set match, with 45 kills on a .315 attack percentage and 42 assists in the win. The Catamounts handed Mercer just its third league loss this season, snapping the Bears' four-game win streak. It also halted WCU's four-match slide against the Bears, scoring their first sweep in the series since 2022, when the Catamounts swept all three meetings.

Cobb led all players with 16 kills for her eighth double-figure kill performance of the season and the most by a Western Carolina player in a three-set match this season. She also added seven digs. Sophomore Tatum Sharp added her 11th double-figure effort with 11 kills, coming on a .526 attack percentage, the best for WCU in a three-set match this season. Sharp also added a team-best five blocks and tallied four digs.

Junior Peri Subat added a season-best eight kills in her first start of the year, adding three blocks. Senior Zoe Zudans finished with six kills, two blocks and a pair of digs.

Senior Katie Boney led the squad with 31 assists, adding six digs, three kills and a block. Sophomore Elise Gurley led the squad with 13 digs, while classmate Samantha Kranzler had 11. On the block, Sharp led all players with five stops as Subat added three and two for Zudans.

Joselynn Sanjurjo led Mercer with seven kills, followed by six apiece from Taylor Timko and Lara Matta, who also had a team-best eight digs. The Bears also had five kills each from Avery Wilks and Brooklyn Palmer. Sammi Bergjans led the Bears with 21 assists and eight digs. Sarah Frager had nine digs and six helpers. Mercer also had four players each tally a block in the contest.

Mercer scored eight of the first 13 points to take an opening set lead, 8-5. Led by three kills from Cobb and two from Subat, WCU responded quickly with a 10-4 run to carry a 15-12 lead into the media stoppage.

After a 5-2 spurt by the Bears tied the score at 17, the Catamounts managed to inch back in front by a pair at 22-20 late. After Mercer evened the score at 22, Cobb and Subat spearheaded a late run to give WCU the 25-23 opening set win.

Looking for the equalizer, Mercer took a 14-11 lead at the midpoint of the second set. The Catamounts responded with a 7-4 run to even the set at 18. Mercer managed a late 21-20 lead before WCU responded with five of the final seven points to take the second set 25-23.

Thursday's third set saw six early ties over the first 18 points before Western Carolina put its foot on the gas, using a 10-2 run to race past the Bears at 19-11. The guests got it to within eight twice before the Catamounts finished off the set with the 25-15 sweep for their second straight sweep.

Western Carolina (8-15, 4-6 SoCon) closes out the weekend on Friday, Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. for a rematch against Mercer.