Lynchburg, Virginia – Junior Livie Weidman and sophomore Bailey Hartso Both had 11 kills and Jr. eden punch Western Carolina posted a career-high 11 blocks in a 3-1 win over Liberty in the first round of the NIVC Tournament at Liberty Arena on Saturday afternoon. After he dropped the first set 25-15, the Catamounts swept his next three 25-21, 25-16, 25-19 to win the match.
The WCU improves to 19-12 overall and advances to face the winners of Clemson and Trudeo in the second round at 1:00 p.m. Sunday. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ (Paid subscription required). For ticket information for games in Lynchburg, Virginia, visit click hereThe Liberty finished the season with a 23-9 record.
Hartsough finished in double digits on his 13th attack.th time of the season while Weidman tallied his eighth double-digit kills. Behind a total of 11 blocks of punches, WCU finished with an 18-for-3 edge in the net.fifth grade Merry Gebel and junior Destiny Dorsey Both scored 12 digs.fifth grade Sydney Carlson Recorded 18 assists.
Lydia Bartz led the Liberty with 17 kills, followed by Kate Bartz with 16, Camryn Baccus with 11 and Madison Blaine with 10. Erica Lowry had a team-high 14 kills.
Liberty started Saturday’s first set with a 10-4 run, causing a WCU timeout. The Catamounts cut the deficit to 15-10 on 5 following a service ace from Hartsaw. With WCU trailing him 17-12, Liberty used his 4-0 spurt to extend their lead and in the rest of the opening his frame he led by over seven points.
Gebel’s kill gave the Catamounts a 6-2 lead early in the second set. Weidmann’s kill put him in a 15-11 lead for WCU before the Flames used his 6-0 run to give him a 17-15 lead. The Catmounts responded with his 3rd straight point and the Flames took his 21-20 lead after back-to-back kills by Blane. The Catamounts won the set thanks to Hartsough’s ace that saw him score a 5-0 run and give the WCU the final point to tie the match by set.
Tie at 4 in the third set, WCU took a 10-4 lead on a 6-0 run. Blocks from Pauling and Robinson gave WCU his 17-7 lead, and the Catamounts enjoyed a 21-11 advantage following Robinson’s kill. A pair of Liberty errors closed out the set, giving WCU a 2-1 lead in the match.
With the score tied at 15 in the fourth set, Weidman’s kill sparked a 5-0 spurt and gave the WCU an unbreakable lead. However, the Katamounts took 3 of their next 4 points for a 23-18 advantage. Liberty’s error awarded Catamount match points before Hartsaw ended the match with a kill.
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