GREENVILLE, S.C. - Merry Gebel posted 11 kills to lead the Western Carolina volleyball team past Furman, 3-0 (26-24, 25-22, 25-17), Friday night at Alley Gymnasium in Greenville, S.C.

The Paladins drop to 6-9 overall and 1-4 in SoCon play, while the Catamounts improve to 8-8 overall and 4-1 in SoCon action.

Freshman Bella Tolone paced the Paladins with 12 kills and added 10 digs for her seventh double-double of the season, tops on the Furman team.  Maya Mrus led Furman with 19 digs, while Sarah Turner logged a team-best 20 assists.  

Destinee Dorsey posted a team-high 18 digs to lead Western Carolina, while Sarah Janourova led the Catamounts with 16 assists.

Western Carolina jumped out to a quick 10-4 lead in set one, but Furman capitalized off three Catamount errors to stay in the match at 11-8.  Western Carolina led 14-8 at the media timeout, then the Paladins reeled off five-straight points, including kills from Harris and Mrus and a service ace by Aceveda, to cut the deficit to one point, 14-13.  With Furman down 20-18, Tolone recorded two-consecutive kills to tie the score at 20-20, then the teams traded points and were tied at 23-23.  At the first set point for WCU, Tanner notched a kill from Abraham to tie the score at 24-all, before the Catamounts scored the final two points for the 26-24 set victory.

The teams were tied at 4-4 to open set two before Western Carolina went on a 4-0 run to lead, 8-4.  Furman put together a 6-0 run of its own, fueled by two kills from Tolone coupled with a service ace and kill by Abraham, to force a Catamount timeout with the Paladins ahead, 10-8.  Furman extended the lead to 11-8 coming out of the timeout off an additional ace by Abraham, but the Catamounts scored three of the next four points to come within one at 12-11.  The Paladins went on a 5-1 run off two kills from Mrus, plus kills from Tolone and Dunn and a service ace by Aceveda, to lead, 17-12, but again the Catamounts answered with three-consecutive points to stay in the match at 17-15.  The teams traded points to settle at a 20-20 tie.  A kill from Harris gave Furman the advantage, but a Catamount kill from Punch pushed the score to 21-all.  Western Carolina scored off consecutive service aces to lead, 23-21, and force a Furman timeout, then took two of the final three points for the 25-22 set win.

The Catamounts took an early 7-2 advantage in set three, but Furman stayed in the match at 7-5 off a kill from Mrus and a service ace by Tanner.  Consecutive kills from Chandler Parker kept the Paladins within two points at 11-9, and a kill from Tolone and a service ace by Turner kept the deficit within reach at 13-11.  Western Carolina put together an 8-2 run to lead 21-13, then the teams traded points to reach 23-15.  The Paladins remained in the set at 24-17 following a block by Harris and a kill by Tanner, but the Catamounts captured the set and the match, 25-17.  

The Paladins will entertain UNC Greensboro Saturday at 2 p.m. at Alley Gymnasium.