In the recent past, a crossroads like the one ETSU volleyball faced early in its match Monday against Western Carolina would be a dead end for the Bucs.
However, coming off a Saturday loss to Georgia Southern, and down 3-9 early in game one, the Bucs rose up to catch and pull away from the Catamounts, winning 30-23 and setting the tone for a 3-1 match win.
“That was a critical game for us,” head coach Deane Webb said.
Indead, it was a critical game and a critical match. Heading into a rematch at Georgia Southern Sunday, the Bucs (14-2, 10-2) remain just one game in the loss column behind Southern Conference leader College of Charleston.
What’s more, the win goes a long way to restoring the confidence lost when the Eagles snapped what had been a school-record-tying, 10-game winning streak.
“Volleyball is a game of momentum,” Webb said. “It was definitely important.”
Though the Bucs dropped game two, 25-30, the glance at the score board was hardly the Bucs scariest moment of the second stanza. That came when senior setter and team leader Carey Cavanaugh laid on the floor after taking a spill, appearing to be injured.
To the relief of the crowd, Webb said was populous for a week night, she did not come out of the game and continued her stellar play, compiling 41 assists, 24 digs and eight kills.
“Watching her play takes your breath away,” sophomore Jessica Miller said of her teammate. Miller, with her 10 digs, was one of four Bucs in double figures in that category, including Karen Freeburg, who led the team with 26.
Cavanaugh and Lissa Allen also had four block-assists apiece, bolstering a phase of the game that impressed their coach.
“Our blocking was a lot better tonight,” Webb said.
Yet no one for ETSU could match the individual numbers of WCU’s all-conference outside hitter Christy Attebery, who had 32 kills and 16 digs, as she spurred the Catamounts to another serious challenge in game three before falling, 30-32. Still the more balanced Bucs wore Attebery and the Catamounts down, 30-20 to close out the match in the fourth game.
One player, who helped the balances tip the Bucs’ way is outside hitter Rachel Shifflet, who is being worked back into the lineup after an ankle injury kept her out of most of the early season. Despite splitting time with fellow sophomore Kate Steidle, she managed to claim 13 kills, more than any other Buc on Monday.
But it was the return of the team game that Webb credits with returning the Bucs to winning.
Webb said his players did not have their usual technically sound game on Saturday, and he added that, “we didn’t pass well at the start” this match, either.
Still, he’s confident their mental focus has not shifted away from passing, a cornerstone of this team, even though they have begun to broaden their practice work to other parts of the game. Webb remains impressed by their work ethic, as well.
“They’ve really done a good job,” he said. “They’ve worked really, really (hard).

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