GREENVILLE, S.C. - Senior Kelsey Salava recorded 54 assists, while senior Stephanie Smith recorded 16 digs to lead the Furman volleyball team to a 3-1 win over The Citadel during Senior Day festivities at Alley Gymnasium on Saturday. With the win, the Paladins extend their winning streak to 18 matches, the longest in Furman volleyball history, and complete the regular season with a perfect 16-0 record in the Southern Conference.

Furman won set one 25-17 and set two 25-11 to take a 2-0 lead at the break, before the College of Charleston came back for a 25-21 victory in set three. The Paladins then rallied for a 25-20 win to take the match in four sets.

Freshman Caroline Adams hit .545 with 15 kills, while fellow rookie Natalie Braun hit .458 with 12 kills and 14 digs. Sophomore Alexis Shaffer had 12 kills and a .478 attack percentage, and freshman Chandler Ambrester also added 12 kills.

Furman (25-3, 16-0 SoCon) will open the Southern Conference tournament against Appalachian State on Saturday, November 21, at Noon in Alley Gymnasium. 

Admission is $5.00 for an adult single session pass and $3.00 for students for a single session pass.

Western Carolina 3, Elon 2

CULLOHWEE, N.C. - Western Carolina volleyball seniors Amanda Kerr, Liz Rondone and Katie Hennessey had their best games of the season, to lead the Catamounts to a 3-2 victory over Elon (23-8, 9-7 SoCon) Sunday in the final match of the 2009-10 season. The victory was the first Southern Conference victory of the year for Western Carolina, as the club ends its season 4-26 and 1-15 in the SoCon.

All three seniors posted season-highs in the victory over Elon. Rondone had a season-high 35 digs, Hennessey had a season-high 56 assists and Kerr posted a season-best 20 kills. Hennessey also had 14 digs and freshman Abbey Scroggins posted 10 kills.

Western Carolina looked to be a team on a mission as it faced one of the top teams in the Southern Conference, hosting Elon for its final match of the season. The Catamounts set the tone early, coming out on fire in set one posting a scorching .417 attack percentage with 13 kills and just three errors. Elon, on the other hand, had a zero attack percentage with eight kills and eight errors. WCU took set one 25-15.

It was Elon's turn to battle in the second set as the Phoenix were down 24-20, and WCU was searching for set point, but Elon scored four straight points to tie the set at 24. A pair of service aces by Megan McMahon closed out the second set for Elon and tied the match at one a piece.

Western Carolina took a 2-1 advantage winning set three. Three ties late in the set were snapped at 22-21 when Elon committed a service error. The Catamounts won the final three points of the set off attack errors by Elon.

Elon tied the match at two all and forced a set five by taking the fourth set 25-23. The Phoenix were looking at set point, 24-21, but WCU did make the set close winning back-to-back points off kills by Kara Lynzee Brooks before falling in the set.

Western Carolina was in jeopardy of dropping the match when the Catamounts found themselves down 6-1 in set five. WCU pulled within one point, 7-6, by going on a 5-1 run thanks in part to a pair of kills by Kerr. The set was tied at eight thanks to an Elon attack error and then a pair of kills by Brooks gave WCU a 10-8 advantage. Western Carolina would never trail again and it seemed apropos that the final kill of the set, and the match, was by Kerr, and it just so happened to all be her 20th kill of the match.