The Bucs volleyball team had a thrilling victory over Western Carolina last weekend, coming back from a set down to win in four sets (15-25, 25-14, 25-21, 25-22) at Brooks Gym.

Here’s a summary of the match and the standout performances:

Set 1: The first set was dominated by Western Carolina, who attacked with a .471 hitting percentage and won convincingly at 25-15. Junior Amanda Lowe (Blacksburg, Va.) and Lundyn Coffman (Nolensville, Tenn.) were the leading attackers for ETSU in this set.

Photo of Amanda Lowe and Brianna Cantrell during volleyball game against Western Carolina. (Kellsie hicks/East Tennessean)

Set 2: ETSU bounced back in the second set, scoring nine of the first 11 points and securing the set with a score of 25-14. ETSU’s defense improved, and their hitting percentage went up from .103 to .276.

Set 3: ETSU initially had a substantial lead in the third set (8-1), but Catamounts managed to claw their way back, making it a close contest. However, ETSU’s offense, led by Lowe and Jenna Forster (Maryville, Tenn.), secured the set with a score of 25-21.

Set 4: The final set was neck and neck, with WCU coming within a point, 22-21. Lowe’s 19th kill of the night extended ETSU’s lead, and the Bucs exchanged points with Western Carolina before sealing the victory with a score of 25-22. Sophomore Brianna Cantrell’s (Appleton, Wis.) kill was the match-clinching point.

Notable performances: Lowe was the standout player for ETSU, recording a career-high 19 kills with a .325 hitting percentage. Cantrell added 13 kills and ten digs, while Forster had 11 kills with an attack percentage of .348. Małgorzata Andersohn ( Bydgoszcz, Poland.) contributed with 45 assists and 13 digs. Freshman Melanie Morris (Maryville, Tenn.) achieved a career-high of 18 digs, and Junior Abbey Thomas (Goldsboro, NC.) made significant contributions to the defense with two solo blocks and six block assists.

Photo of Abbey Thomas during volleyball match against Western Carolina. (Kellsie Hicks/East Tennessean)

ETSU, with a record of 3-18 overall and 3-7 in SoCon play, will play their next matches on the road against Chattanooga on Friday and UNC Greensboro on Saturday. 

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