GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) volleyball team dropped its final regular season match against Western Carolina on Saturday in Fleming Gymnasium (21-25, 16-25, 8-25).
 
Seniors Daija Jackson and Valeria Calderon were honored prior to Saturday's match in a senior day ceremony for their hard work and dedication to UNCG volleyball. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Catamounts posted a 3-0 run to begin set one. Western Carolina held UNCG from taking the lead in game one. However, the Spartans were able to tie the set on two occasions. First, kills from Aylin Baran and Daija Jackson and an attack error from Western Carolina tied the game 19-19. Another kill from Baran tied the game (20-20). The Catamounts responded with a 5-1 run to take the first set, 25-21.
 
UNCG took its first lead of the game due to a ball handling error from the Catamounts (1-0). With the game tied at five points apiece, Western Carolina produced a 3-0 run to take the lead (8-5) and hold it for the remainder of the match. Kills from Jackson and Baran cut the deficit to one (9-10), but the Catamounts maintained control. A final kill from Western Carolina's Bailey Hartsough gave the visiting team set two, 25-16.
 
Western Carolina continued its momentum into the third set by starting things off with a 20-3 run to never allow UNCG to lead in the third set. A 4-0 run featuring three consecutive kills from the Catamounts' Zoe Zudans gave Western Carolina set three, 25-8.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Baran led the Spartans with seven kills.
• Mallory Meers, Avery Sziksai and Izora Gragg posted one service ace apiece.
• Jackson recorded 2.0 total blocks.
• Meers and Gragg combined for 14 assists.
• Sziksai and Calderon notched 20 digs collectively.   

Records
UNCG: 1-26, 0-16, SoCon
Western Carolina: 10-17, 7-9, SoCon

Up Next
The Spartans will compete in the first round match of the SoCon Tournament on either Monday, Nov. 13 or Tuesday Nov. 14, hosted by the No. 8 seed, which will be determined concluding Saturday's conference matches. A win in the first round would move UNCG up to the Quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 17 in Spartanburg, S.C.