University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
3-4,0-0Big South
Western Carolina
2-5,0-0SoCon
Bulldogs fall in straight sets to WCU
09.05.2023 | Women's Volleyball
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville volleyball team faced Western Carolina University Tuesday night and fell to the Catamounts in three straight sets (25-13, 25-21, 25-18). With Tuesday's loss, the Bulldogs fall to 3-4 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Catamounts scored the first two points of the first set and never looked back. Western limited the Bulldogs to just nine kills and took advantage of seven attack errors while the Catamounts recorded 17 kills and committed only two attack errors.
In the second set, Western looked poised to take another double-digit victory, as they took a quick lead and led by 10 points at the first media timeout (15-5). Western extended its lead out to 11 before the Bulldogs strung together three separate runs to tie the set at 21. Matilde Teixeira started the comeback with a kill which was followed by two Western errors and an ace from Ona Elkins that cut Western's lead down to seven.
A service error would allow the Catamounts to extend their lead back out to eight before the Bulldogs went on a five-point run to bring the score within three (20-17). Once again, a kill from Teixeira helped spark the Bulldog surge. A kill from Western broke up the Bulldogs' momentum before Albertine van der Goot and Avery Loeback regained momentum with a block to ignite a four-point run to tie the set. Kylie Cackovic and van der Goot connected for back-to-back kills and an error from Western evened the score, but the Catamounts ended the Bulldogs' run as they went on to score the final four points of the set and take a 2-0 advantage.
Neither team came out with the hot hand in the third set, as the Bulldogs took their first lead of the game after a set-opening kill from Baylor Herlehy. Both teams were back-and-forth through the early points of the set before Western went on an 8-2 run and extended its lead out by eight (18-10). Three Catamount errors and a service ace from Michelle Thao cut Western's lead back down to four (18-14), but that was as close as Asheville would get, as Western went on to win the third set and sweep the match.
FROM THE BOX
Cackovic led the way for Asheville with a team-high eight kills and was followed closely by Teixeira who recorded seven. Thao and Cackovic led Asheville's defensive efforts with nine and eight digs apiece.
UP NEXT
Asheville continues its road stint by traveling to Charlotte, N.C., to compete in the Queens Fall Classic Sept. 8-9. The Bulldogs open the tournament against The Citadel at 5:15 p.m. on Friday.
