CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel volleyball team suffered a tough five-set defeat to Western Carolina in the Southern Conference opener Monday evening inside McAlister Field House. The final scores of the match were 25-23, 25-20, 21-25, 19-25, 9-15.
 
Score: Western Carolina 3, The Citadel 2
Records: Western Carolina (1-2, 1-0), The Citadel (2-4, 0-1)
Location: Charleston, South Carolina (McAlister Field House)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams got off to a slow start in the first set as mistakes from both sides kept the score tight. The Bulldogs took their first lead of the set at 14-13 after back-to-back kills from Amie Greene and Gina Delancey.
• The Catamounts took advantage of three-straight mistakes from the Bulldogs to regain the lead. The Citadel battled back to take a 20-18 lead on two-straight kills from Maddy Cardenas.
• After the teams exchanged points, Makaya Middleton put the set away with her first kill of the match.
• The second set was much of the same as the teams went back-and-forth. Mellanie King delivered a kill to give the Bulldogs a 15-13 lead and take us to the media timeout.
• Three-straight attack errors from WCU helped The Citadel take an 18-13 lead.
• The Bulldogs would maintain the lead and put an exclamation point on the set with a thunderous service ace from Sharlissa de Jesus.
• The Catamounts jumped out to an early 8-3 advantage in the third set. The Bulldogs were able to quickly pull within one point, but WCU was able to push its advantage back to six at 20-14.
• Faith Justice was able to come in and get three points of her serve make it a two-point game, but a service error and attack error from the Bulldogs gave the set to WCU.
• The fourth set was another tight battle from the beginning as the teams found themselves tied 10-10.
• WCU would rattle off the next five points to open a lead they would not relinquish. The Citadel was able to pull within three later, by Merry Gebel ended the set with back-to-back kills.
• The Citadel scored the first three points of the fifth behind a pair of kills from the right arm of de Jesusu.
• After WCU battled back to take an 8-7 lead, the teams engaged in an epic battle that featured a little bit of everything. After nearly 90 seconds of action, the Catamounts won the point and extended the lead to 9-7.
• That played seemed to deflate the Bulldogs a bit as it was part of a 6-0 run that sent the Catamounts to victory.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• The Bulldogs had four players in double figures in kills, including three players with a team-high 13 kills.
• Mellanie King and Sharlissa de Jesus each finished with 13 kills and 18 digs.
• Gina Delancey recorded a career-high 13 kills and six blocks.
• Maddy Cardenas was also in double figures with 11 kills.
• Kenzie Kellerman led all players with 25 digs.

 
UP NEXT
The two teams will close out the two-game series Tuesday at 1 p.m.