Bears Take Down the Catamounts

Friday, October 1

Cullowhee, N.C.

6:00 P.M.

Mercer University

6-8,2-1SoCon

Western Carolina

6-8,2-1SoCon

Mercer

Western Carolina

10/1/2021 10:28:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Mercer fights for a four-set win

By: Nicole Dennis

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Bears defeat the Catamounts in four sets, winning three straight. "First time we have won here in quite a while," said head coach Dex Schroeder. "It is a tough arena to play in for our style of volleyball and I am proud of the mental fortitude and determination we played with."

MERCER VS. WESTERN CAROLINA

Set One (25-23) | The first set started with both teams trading points before a kill by Brittany Major followed by an error would put the Bears up by one, 4-3. The Catamounts and the Bears would go on runs of three, respectively, keeping the game within one in favor of the Bears, 7-6. The back and forth continued throughout the set, keeping the score close. At most the Bears trailed by two before a kill from Major tied the game at 17. The Catamounts would go on an unanswered 6-0 run, giving them the lead at 23-17. Their run ended by a kill from Jaida Howell with another one from Rayanne de Oliveira right after, 23-19. The Catamounts would score an additional point before the Bears went on a run of their own. Two of the next five points would be from kills by Annie Karle making it a one-point game. The Bears run ended on a kill by the Catamounts, giving them set one.

Set Two (25-16) | Back to back kills by Taylor Lynch would tie the game early at two. A 3-0 from the Catamounts would put them up by three, 5-2. A kill from Howell and a service ace from Major would tie the game at six. A 3-0 from the Bears which included a kill from Karle would put them up by two, 9-7. The Catamounts answered, tying the game at nine before another 3-0 from the Bears put them back up by three, 12-9. de Oliveira recorded two kills and a block with Lynch during this run. Points would be traded before a 4-0 by the Bears put them up by four 18-12. This run included blocks from Major and de Oliveira as well as a service ace from de Oliveira. Several errors extended the Bears lead before kills from Howell and Karle put the Bears up by eight, 23-15. The Bears received their last two points from errors, taking set two.

Set Three (26-24) | The Bears were the first on the board with a kill from Lynch. Kills from Lynch and de Oliveira and a service ace from Karle would put the Bears up by three, 4-1. The Catamounts would answer to tie the game at four. The game would have five more tie scores before the Catamounts would go on a
6-0 making their lead four, 15-11. Kills from Major, Howell (2) and Karle (2) would keep the game within three, 22-19. A kill and service ace from de Oliveira would put the Bears within two, 23-21. The Bears would allow the Catamounts to score one additional point before a 3-0 run with kills from Howell and Agnieska Paskevic and a service ace from Lexi Uhrhan would give the third set to the Bears.

Set Four (25-16) | Lynch would start the fourth set in the same way she started the third, with two back-to-back kills, 2-1. The teams traded points before back-to-back kills from Karle, de Oliveira, and Paskevic put the Bears up by three, 8-5. The set would have three tie scores before a kill by Major led a 4-0 run, 14-10. Later in the set, the Bears would go on a 6-0 run with kills by de Oliveira (2) Lynch and Major (2). The Bears would take the set and match off of a service ace from Karle.

NOTABLES

Annie Karle led the team in kills with 14, followed by Taylor Lynch (12) and Rayanne de Oliveira (11). Karle had a double-double with 11 digs.
Annie Karle, Lexi Uhrhan, and Rayanne de Oliveira tied with two service aces each.
Rayanne de Oliveira and Jaida Howell tied with four total blocks.

The Bears will face the University of North Carolina Greensboro Spartans tomorrow at 5:00 P.M.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Volleyball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBearsVB (Twitter), and @mercervolleyball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.