WBB: Cats fall to Georgia State

Cullowhee, NC - The Cats fought to the bitter end, turning the game into a nail-bitter, but dropped the home game to Georgia State, 64-59.  But in the end, it was free throws that were the key to the final outcome of the game. The Cats were called for 16 fouls in the second half, while Georgia State was whistled for only 6.  The Panthers scored a total of 24 points at the free throw line, with 14 of those points coming in the second half.

The Catamounts open SoCon play on Saturday hosting the Davidson Wildcats. The game starts at 2 p.m. and is first of a conference doubleheader with the men's team playing Greensboro.

WBB: Menendez Named SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week

Menendez

Spartanburg, SC - Kalia’Shea Menendez has been named the Southern Conference’s Student-Athlete of the Week, the league office announced today.  Menendez averaged 11.5 points in two games, and has now recorded double figures in six of the first seven games this season.  The Raleigh native maintains a 3.32 GPA in sociology.

Golf: Women sign two for 2012-13

Cullowhee, NC - Head women's golf coach Mallory Hetzel announced a pair of golfers that will join the Catamounts for the 2012-13 season, Taylor Allison (Elizabeth City, N.C. / Northeastern HS) and Mariah Hopkins (Greensboro, N.C. / Home Schooled) have signed National Letters of Intent to play with WCU.

"They are both very excited about the opportunity to represent WCU. We expect Taylor and Mariah to come in and contribute right away. They have the ability to add a lot to our team in terms of both leadership and enthusiasm." said Hetzel. "Taylor is a very unique talent. She plays with tremendous poise and consistency and is an excellent putter. I watched her play 10-to-12 rounds this past summer and never once saw her miss a putt inside of six feet," said Hetzel. "Mariah comes from a very athletic family. She possesses the rare combination of strength and touch. I have seen Mariah hit wedge shots that would make most people jealous. I really admire the way she always seems to play with a cool and confident attitude."

MBB: Samford

Courtesy Samford

Homewood, Al - Western Carolina goes on the road to open their Southern Conference schedule this year at Samford University. The Catamounts leads the overall series with the Bulldogs, 5-2.  In games played in Homewood, Samford leads, 2-1 - while in games played in Cullowhee, Western Carolina leads, 4-0.  The Bulldogs own an overall record of 1-3 this season.  They have one road win, at UT Arlington (71-69). Their home court has not been kind so far this season, as they have 2 home losses (Youngstown State and Georgia State) as well as, a road loss at Jacksonville.

For more information on this game, follow the link below.

Game #8 - Samford

WBB: Georgia State

Cullowhee, NC - Western Carolina and Georgia State meet for 12th time in Tuesday's game in Cullowhee at the Ramsey Center.  Western Carolina owns a 3-1 record over Georgia State in games played in Cullowhee.  The Panthers enter Tuesday's game with a 1-3 overall record, having lost to Arizona; Florida State; and Appy State.  GSU's lone win thus far was over the one common opponent to both teams this year, the Campbell Camels.  While the Cats had to traveled to Buies Creek and lost 59-43, GSU played host to Campbell and pulled off a 70-56 win last Friday over the Camels. For more information on the GSU game, follow the link below.


Game #7 - Georgia State

WBB: Upcoming games

Courtesy WCU Sports

Scanning the SoCon - Week Four

Scanning the SoCon - Week Four


My SoCon Rankings
1. Davidson
2. Charleston
3. Wofford
4. Elon
5. Western Carolina
6. Appy State
7. Chattanooga
8. Ga Southern
9. UNCG
10. Citadel
11. Furman
12. Samford

MBB: Cats win

Courtesy FAMU

South Padre Island, Texas - The Catamounts picked up a 62-46 win over Florida A&M in their finale of the 2011 South Padre Island Invitational.

"Today was a good team win for us. I am proud of the way our guys responded to what went on in our team meetings last night - I challenged them pretty good," said WCU head coach Larry Hunter. "I was really proud of our effort and our energy - I really didn't have to coach energy today. And, when I went to our bench, I got production - those were a couple of things I thought were really big for us."

The Cats will open conference play next Thursday night at Samford, in a 8:00 pm ET tip-off.

WBB: Cats win road trip

Cookeville, TN - The Cats came from behind to defeat Tennessee Tech, 61-58 at the Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tenn.  Menendez and Abraham led the Catamounts with 12 points each, as the Cats out rebounded Tech 40 to 34.

Western Carolina returns to the Ramsey Center at 7 p.m. Tuesday hosting the Georgia State Panthers.

MBB: Northern Colorado

South Padre Island, Texas - The Cats did something that's become familiar. They lost, this time to Northern Colorado, a team that entered the game with an 0-4 record. Final score, 74-57.

I don't know what's happened to this team, but it's going to be a long, long season.

Happy Thanksgiving

Basketball: Basketball at WCU implodes

Both the men's and women's teams lost on Tuesday night, and neither game was nearly as close as either score might indicate. The women's team, after starting the season with a promising 3-0 start, has dropped two games straight to Big South opponents, most recently Coastal Carolina (66-56) prior to the Campbell loss (59-43). The men's team has been totally dominated in the first two games of the South Padre Island Invitational by two Iowa teams.   First it was Iowa State by a score of 92-60, then two days later, by Northern Iowa 59-39. These two losses, combined with a season opening beat-down, by a young South Carolina team, does not bode well for the Catamounts' 2011-12 season.

SoCon Football All Freshman Team

Warren

Clark

Cullowhee, NC - Catamount running back Shaun Warren and defensive back Ace Clark were selected to the SoCon Football All-Freshman Team as voted on by the league's head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players in the voting process.

Warren led the Catamounts with 454 rushing yards on the year, averaging five yards per carry, seeing action in 10 of the 11 games, with three starts. Clark finished this season with 90 tackles. including 50 solo stops ranking him second on the squad. Clark recorded three pass break-ups on the season in his 10 appearances in the starting lineup.  Congratulations to both of the fine young Catamounts from the Purple & Gold.

Basketball: Both teams play Tuesday

The men's team travels to Northern Iowa as part of the South Padre Island Invitational, as the women host Coastal Carolina in the Ramsey Center. Both teams are coming off losses, and hope to get back in the winning column on Tuesday.  The women's game tip-off is at 7 pm (EST) while the men's tip-off is at 8 pm (EST). Follow the links below for more information on both games.


Game #5 - Northern Iowa

Game #5 - Coastal Carolina

MBB: Cats fall at Iowa State

The Catamounts fell to Iowa State by a final score of 60-92 on Sunday in the first round of The South Padre Island Invitational. The hot shooting Cyclones were 11-of-18 as a team from 3-point range and shot 65% from the field.  The big advantage though was in rebounding, where the Cyclones held a 34 to 16 advantage.  Iowa State also picked up 23 points off turnovers, as well as 27 points off the bench, compared to the Cats' 13 and 11 respectively.

MBB: PC beats #20 Cincinnati

Yep, the very same Presbyterian basketball team that our Cats beat 80-73 on Thursday, pulled off a major upset on the road Saturday night over nationally ranked (#20) Cincinnati, by a score of 56-54. Congrats to them, it just makes the Cats win over them even better.

A day of losing

Cullowhee, NC - Saturday, November 19 will go down as a very bad day for Catamount athletics. Every Catamount team that played Saturday, lost Saturday. Women's basketball lost to Campbell (Big South), volleyball lost in the first round of the SoCon volleyball tournament to Furman, and of course the football team lost (big time) to Coastal Carolina (Big South). Since we already know how to lose to teams in the SoCon, I guess we're learning now how to lose to teams in the Big South too.

The 2011 Southern Conference Volleyball Championship

The 2011 Southern Conference Volleyball Championship will take place on Saturday, November 19th through Monday, November 21st in Samford University's Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

Western Carolina volleyball (No. 3 seed) will face Furman (No. 2 seed) in the first round at 5:30 pm on Saturday November 19th.

South Padre Island Invitational

The South Padre Island Invitational is one of college basketball's elite Thanksgiving tournaments, held in South Padre Island, Texas. The field of eight teams includes Western Carolina, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Rice, Northern Colorado, Southern University, Florida A&M, and Providence.

Each team will play four games- the first two at campus sites, and the final two rounds at the South Padre Island Convention Center on beautiful South Padre Island, Texas on November 25-26.  Western Carolina will play Iowa State (Nov 20) & Northern Iowa (Nov 22) in first round action, prior to the two rounds at South Padre Island (Nov 25-26).

MBB: Cats handle PC, 80-73

Clinton, S.C. - The Catamounts won their eight straight game over the Presbyterian Blue Hose Thursday night in Clinton, SC. The Cats were lead my Harouna Matombo with a game high of 20 points to put away the Big South foe by a score of 80-73.

With this win the Cats improve to 2-1 on the season and will open play in the South Padre Island Invitational on Sunday.

Catamount Football Reunion

Make your plans to attend, your support is needed now more than ever

Catamount Fooball Today

Catamount Football Today is now on line, with Daniel Hooker and Coach Rhea.   Follow the link below.




Catamount Football Today

MBB: Cats travel to PC

Cullowhee, NC - The Catamounts travel to Clinton, SC on Thursday night to take on Big South foe, Presbyterian College at 7:30 pm.  The Blue Hose are 1-1 on the season after losing to Duke, and beating Eastern Kentucky.  For more information on the game, follow the link below.


Game #3 - Presbyterian College

WBB: Cats climb to 3-0

Cullowhee, NC - Western Carolina opens the season 3-0 for the first time since 2003, beating mountain rival UNC Asheville 65-53 Wednesday in the Ramsey Center. Kaila'Shea Menendez led all scorers with 17 points and Caitlin Hollifield completed a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cats travel to Campbell on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip-off with the Fighting Camels. 

VB: Glover Named SoCon Coach of the Year

Spartanburg, SC - First-year head coach, Karen Glover, was selected as the 2011 SoCon Volleyball Coach of the Year. Glover led the Catamounts to an 8-8 mark in SoCon play and a third place seed in the North Division.  The Cats were predicted to finish last in the preseason voting.

"It was really a great honor as there are a lot of great coaches in the SoCon," said head coach Karen Glover. "I would also like to thank my assistant John Brannon because we definitely would not be in this position without all of his hard work. Also, the players have been amazing this year to work with, and I attribute this award to them."

The 13 overall wins by the Cats are the most for a WCU volleyball team since 2003 when WCU won 16 matches. Glover is the second Catamount coach to be named SoCon Volleyball Coach of the Year as Trish Howell was the first, back in 1983.

WBB: Bulldogs visit Cullowhee

Cullowhee, NC - On Wednesday, the UNC Asheville Bulldogs travel the short distance to Cullowhee to renew the mountain series. The Catamounts currently lead the series 33-12, and has won the last two meetings between the teams.  Asheville brings a 1-0 record, with a lone win over Div II,  Winston-Salem State, 83-74. Bulldog Kelli Riles is the player to watch for Asheville, she scored 21 points and a career-high 24 rebounds in Asheville's win over W-S State last Saturday.   For more game information, please follow the link below.

Game #3 - UNC Asheville

MBB: Hunter gets win #600

Cullowhee, NC - Head Basketball Coach Larry Hunter picked up win number 600 tonight in the Ramsey Center when the Catamounts rolled over the Montreat College Cavaliers by a score of 109 - 63.  Hunter becomes just the 61 coach to reach the 600 win plateau.

Hunter's teams have posted winning records in 26 of his 31 seasons as a head coach, and he now has an overall record of 600-325 and enters the 2011-12 season as the 11th winningest active coach in the country.

WBB: Cats over CSU, now 2-0

Cullowhee, NC - The Catamounts kept its winning record over Charleston Southern intact Monday night in the Ramsey Center, defeating the Buccaneers 69-65. The Cats are now 6-0 against CSU.  Alex Abraham and Caitlin Hollifieldled lead the Catamounts with 14 points each, while Kaila'Shea Menendez added 12 points and freshman Ali Lane put up 11 points. The Cats shot a hot 60% on field goals, which was needed as Coastal hit a total of 11 from three point range.

Football Reunion scheduled for November 18-19

Make your plans to attend, your support is needed now more than ever

MBB: Montreat College

Cullowhee, NC - Western Carolina opens it's home schedule Tuesday as the Montreat College Cavaliers travel to Cullowhee. The Cats are 0-1 on the season after a dissapointing loss to South Carolina in Columbia on Friday night.   The Cavaliers bring a 1-5 record to the Ramsey Center.   For more game information click on the link below.

Game #2 - Montreat College

WBB: Charleston Southern

Charleston Southern comes to Cullowhee tonight to open the home season of Catamount women's basketball. The Buccaneers are 3-0 this season, which includes a win over Furman last week. This is the sixth meeting between the two programs, with WCU leading the series 5-0, the two teams last played in 1978.
Find out more about the game on the link below.

Game #2 - Charleston Southern

Football: Wagner resigns

Cullowhee, NC - Head Football Coach Dennis Wagner met with Fred Cantler, interim director of athletics, on Sunday morning to inform him of his decision to resign.

"I have accepted the resignation of Dennis Wagner as head football coach at Western Carolina University effective today, Sunday Nov. 13," said Cantler. "Coach Wagner announced his resignation to the team and his assistants earlier today after meeting with me for a frank and thorough discussion of the future of the program. We have reached the mutual conclusion that it is in the best interests of both parties to take this step at this time."

Assistant Head Coach Mark Rhea has been appointed interim head coach until a new head football coach is hired.  A national search for a new head football coach will commence immediately.

Basketball: Home Openers

Courtesy WCU Sports Information

Monday - Charleston Southern

Tuesday - Montreat College

MBB: Cats fall in Columbia

Columbia, SC - The Cats opened the season on the road in Columbia with hopes of an unset, but the strong inside presence of South Carolina put the game out of reach. The Gamecocks out rebounded the Cats 37-29, and had 20 second-chance points.   The final score was 75-50.

"I think South Carolina's length and size was definitely a factor tonight," said Hunter after the game. "I thought (South Carolina) got to us in different segments of the game with their press and built themselves little leads or had spurts off of their press. Certainly their offensive rebounding and their ability to control the paint area at both ends was a key factor in the game." Both Harouna Mutombo and Trey Sumler led the Catamounts with 11 points apiece.

MBB: Friday's Results

Courtesy SoCon

Men's Basketball kicked off Friday, and here's the SoCon results.

Furman 75, Roanoke College 49
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Senior Brandon Sebirumbi recorded a double-double with 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds to lead Furman past NCAA Division III Roanoke College, 75-49, in the Paladins' season opener on Friday night at Timmons Arena.

Tennessee 92, UNCG 63
KNOXVILLE, TN - Tennessee's Trae Golden scored a game-high 29 points to lead the Volunteers to a 92-63 win over UNCG in the season opener for both teams, Friday at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game is part of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

South Carolina 75, Western Carolina 50
COLUMBIA, SC - Harouna Mutombo and Trey Sumler paced the Catamounts with 11 points apiece on Friday night, but South Carolina put three players in double figures and scored 46 of its points in the paint in handing Western Carolina a 75-50 loss in the season-opener for both squads Friday night at the Colonial Life Arena.

Appalachian State 90, Lees-McRae 61
BOONE, NC - Andre Williamson turned in a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead Appalachian State University men's basketball to a 90-61 win over visiting Lees-McRae in Friday night's season opener at the Holmes Center.

Charleston 78, Holy Cross 69
CHARLESTON, SC - The College of Charleston men's basketball team used an explosive first half to knock off Holy Cross, 78-69, in its season opener held Friday night before a sellout crowd of 4,963 at TD Arena.

Valparaiso 90, Georgia Southern 81
STATESBORO, GA - Rebounds were the story as Georgia Southern Men's Basketball opened the 2011-12 season with a 90-81 home loss to Valparaiso on Friday, November 11th. The loss for Georgia Southern is its first defeat in a home opener since the 1980-81 season. Senior point guard Willie Powers III scored 13 points in the loss and became the 38th member of the 1,000 point club at Georgia Southern.

Davidson 111, Guilford 64
DAVIDSON, NC -­ De'Mon Brooks led six Davidson players in double figures with a career-high 24 points to go along with 10 rebounds to lead the Wildcats to a 111-64 men¹s basketball victory over Guilford in their season opener Friday night in John M. Belk Arena.

Georgia 62, Wofford 49
ATHENS, GA - In the opening game of the 2011-12 men's basketball season, Wofford was defeated 62-49 by Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum. In a match-up of NCAA Tournament teams from last season, the Terriers held the Bulldogs to 33.9 percent shooting in the game.

Umass 85, Elon 67
AMHERST, MA - A strong second-half surge by the home team helped the UMass Minutemen erase a four-point halftime deficit and defeat the visiting Elon Phoenix, 85-67, in the 2011-12 men's basketball season opener for both teams inside historic Curry Hicks Cage on Friday night.

VMI 103, The Citadel 100
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO  - The Citadel men's basketball team matched intensity with an up-tempo Virginia Military Institute squad for 40 minutes at 7,258 feet above sea-level, but the Bulldogs fell short in the season opener for both teams, dropping a 103-100 decision to the Keydets Friday evening at the All-Military Classic hosted by Air Force at Clune Arena. The Bulldogs will face Army in the third-place game at 8:30 p.m. EST on Saturday.

Friday's Men's Basketball Roundup

WBB: Friday's Results

Courtesy SoCon

The SoCon kicked off this years basketball season on Friday, and here's the resullts.

Western Carolina 62, North Carolina Central 49
DURHAM, N.C. – Sophomore guard Rena Wakama scored a career-high 19 points in Western Carolina women’s basketball’s (1-0) 62-49 win over North Carolina Central University (0-1) Friday at McDougald/McLendon Gymnasium.

Samford 59, Montana 45
CHICAGO, Ill.- The Samford women’s basketball team opened the 2011-12 season with a 59-45 win over Montana Friday afternoon in the first round of the Maggie Dixon Classic, hosted by DePaul University.

Chattanooga 69, UAB 59
CHATTANOOGA, TN. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team posted a tight 65-59 win over UAB in the season opener for both teams Friday night at the McKenzie Arena to advance to the second round of the Preseason WNIT.

Charleston 58, East Carolina 43
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Freshman Mikaela Hopkins scored 14 points and pulled down 17 rebounds to lead the College of Charleston women's basketball team to a 58-43 victory over East Carolina on Friday night at TD Arena.

UNCG 46, Liberty 61
GREENSBORO, NC – Playing in front of the fifth-largest home crowd in school history, UNCG’s women’s basketball team fell to Liberty on Friday at Fleming Gymnasium, 61-46, in the season-opener for both squads. The contest also marked the debut of new UNCG coach Wendy Palmer.

... and Appy gets ripped.
Appalachian State 48, Virginia 80
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Courtney Freeman notched her third career double-double, but Appalachian State women's basketball was unable to overcome an early deficit in an 80-48, season-opening loss at Virginia on Friday, Nov. 11 at John Paul Jones Arena.

Friday Women's Basketball Recaps

SoCon Football Gameday

Courtesy SoConSports.com

WBB: Cats win on the road

Rena Wakama

Western Carolina women's basketball's picked up a 62-49 road win over the North Carolina Central University Lady Eagles at McDougald/McLendon Gymnasium in Durham.  Sophomore Rena Wakama put up a career-high 19 points to lead all scores, hitting 10 of 12 free throws.

After leading by only 2 points at the half, the Catamounts  exploded on the Eagles in the second half, going on a 11-0 run to build a 36-23 lead and holding the Lady Eagles scoreless for the first three minutes of the second half.  Kaila'Shea Menendez, scored 11 of her total 13 points in the second half with Makensey Campbell scoring 12 points and had a pair of blocks in the game.

This Weekends Events

Friday, November 11, 2011

Men's Basketball at South Carolina 7:00 PM 

Women's Basketball at North Carolina Central 6:00 PM

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Football at Appalachian State 3:30 PM 

Volleyball at Samford 3:00 PM

Cross Country vs NCAA Regional TBA

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Volleyball at Chattanooga 3:00 PM

MBB: Hunter signs four for 2012-13

Cullowhee, NC - Basketball Head Coach Larry Hunter announced signing four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent (NLI) for the 2012-13 season.  Mike Brown (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte HS), Justin Browning (Sylacauga, Ala./Sylacauga HS), Torrion Brummitt (Columbus, Ga./Shaw HS) and Rhett Harrelson (Enterprise, Ala./Enterprise HS) signed with the Catamounts during the early signing period.     "Overall, this class has good basketball intelligence, skill, positional diversity, shooting and athleticism." said Hunter  "They fit into our system of play very well and should help us continue to win championships in the next few years."

"Mike (Brown) is a very talented and athletic guard who plays the wing and has a good feel for the game," said Hunter. "He has been a key player on his high school team for several years and knows how to score. He shoots the ball with range, but is also good off the dribble and coming off screens. He plays hard and understands the importance of playing defense and rebounding."

"(Browning) impacts the game in a lot of ways. He scores, passes, rebounds and defends well. He has had to play in the post some for his high school team, which with his skill set gives him good versatility in our program. He is a clever scorer around the basket."

"(Brummitt) is a gifted big man with soft hands and shooting touch," Hunter said. "He has good size, length and natural strength. He is comfortable banging inside, but has the versatility to step to the perimeter and shoot or to put the ball on the floor. He can run and finish."

"(Harrelson) is one of the more talented point guards I've ever recruited," said Hunter. "He is highly skilled with the ball, has great poise and feel for the game and for winning. He is personable and has a lot of natural leadership skills and toughness. He has been well coached and has a good sense of how to play the game. A very deceptive athlete with great body control and hands, he has excellent vision and passing skills. He's unselfish but can shoot and score very effectively."

Courtesy Catamount Sports Information

The Dennis Wagner Show (Wofford game)

Coach Rhea sits in for Coach Wagner due to a death in Coach Wagner's family.


Clink on the link below:

The Dennis Wagner Show

MBB: South Carolina Gamecocks

Courtesy USC Sports
Information

The Catamount's first opponent, the South Carolina Gamecocks, is looking to rebound from a disappointing 14-16 record last season. However, the 2011-12 season may be just as tough, with all the off season challenges experienced by Head Coach Darrin Horn's Gamecocks.

Starting shooting guard Ramon Galloway and Ole Miss transfer Murphy Holloway will not be on the team this season, add in the graduation of Sam Muldrow, as well as, Bruce Ellington's decision to play football (will rejoin the team after football season) will make USC a very young, but talented team that will have 9 of 11 players as underclassmen.   The Gamecocks won their only exhibition game over Kentucky Wesleyan, 69-59.  The USC shot 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the floor, knocking down 10-of-19,  3-point attempts. KW struggled against the Gamecock defense, shooting just 27.9 percent (17-of-61) of their attempts, however they held a 39-37 rebound advantage on the boards. Freshman Anthony Gill led the Gamecocks with 14 points and six rebounds.

USC Key Loses:
Murphy Holloway - F
Sam Muldrow -  PF
Johndre Jefferson - PF
Ramon Galloway - SG
Steve Spinella -  SG

USC New faces:
Brenton Williams So.—G—5'11"—172—Kissimmee, Fla.—Osceola/Santa Fe College
Anthony Gill Fr.—F—6'8"—235—Charlotte, N.C.—Charlotte Christian School
Damien Leonard Fr.—G—6'4"—192—Greenville, S.C.—J.L. Mann

Game #1 - USC Gamecocks

WBB: Cats sign four in the early period

Cullowhee, NC - Basketball Coach Karen Middleton announced that four had signed to play for the Catamounts in the 2012-13 basketball season.  Signing National Letters of Intent (NLI) today were Lindsay Simpson (Franklin High School, Franklin, NC); Erika Joseph (Parkview High School, Lilburn, GA); Brianne Mack (Southlake Christian Academy, Gastonia, NC); and Lindsey Burleson (North Stanly High School, Albermarle, NC).

"We are extremely excited to have these four young ladies officially join our Catamount basketball family today," Middleton said. "Each will fit into our campus community at Western Carolina and as a part of our team immediately. On the court, these four are very talented and determined basketball players. They will help our program rise to the championship level of play we expect."

Volleyball: Cats beat Mountaineers, 3-1

Cullowhee, NC - The volleyball Catamounts downed the ASU Mountaineers by a score of 3-1.    The Cats won the first set 25-19, then the Mountaineers evened the match at 1-1 with a 23-25 win in set 2.  WCU won the next two sets to take the match (25-23 and 25-22).  This win avenges an earlier loss this season to ASU in Boone.   "I was really pleased with our execution tonight," said head coach Karen Glover. "We were able to have a balanced attack because of our girls' ability to execute. They did a great job of leading us tonight, and I'm glad we were able to defeat our rival for their last match at home."

"Tonight was the most memorable experience that I've had in the four years of playing volleyball here at Western," said senior Rebecca Stoltz. "Now, we just need to get back and work on some of our strategies in preparation for the weekend. We need to match the enthusiasm and effort that we played with tonight."

We started the week with a win over ASU, let's end the week the same way.

Football: SoCon Weekly Football Teleconference (11-8-11)

Courtesy SoConSports.com

The SoCon football coaches teleconference was conducted today (11-8-11). Coach Wagner did not participate due to a death in his family, Coach Rhea conducted the teleconference for WCU.

 “Our kids have been so resilient; it’s been fantastic,” Rhea said. “They’ve had a lot of adversity on and off the field, and our kids, every day, come to play. They enjoy the game of football. They enjoy being at practice. On game day, they just come alive. It’s a joy for me as a coach — and I know for the other coaches — to be around our kids. We have great kids, enthusiastic kids. It’s fun to be around them. The best time of the day is when you get to go in a meeting with the kids or you get to go to practice with them.”

Coach Rhea

Coach Moore

Basketball Coaches' Luncheon

Sylva, NC - The first Men's and Women's Basketball Coaches' Luncheon of the season with Head Men's Basketball Coach Larry Hunter and Head Women's Basketball Coach Karen Middleton will be held at O'Malley's Pub and Grill at 1130 am on November 9th.

Enjoy some great food and some WCU basketball talk.

WBB: A look at the NCCU Lady Eagles

Durham, NC - Karen Middleton's Catamounts opens the 2011-12 basketball season at North Carolina Central University on Friday, November 11.   The NCCU Lady Eagles were predicted to finish 12th in the 13 team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)for the upcoming basketball season.

“I am not surprised on the predicted standing, our record last season was not very strong,” said NCCU head women’s basketball coach Joli Robinson.   “This prediction gives us more motivation to get better throughout the season.” The Lady Eagles return seven members from last year’s team, as well as, four transfers and four freshmen to this year's team.

2010-11 Overall Record...........................................5-25
2010-11 Home Record.............................................5-9
2010-11 Away Record.............................................0-14
2010-11 Neutral Record...........................................0-2
Letterwinners Returning/Lost...................................7/3
Starters Returning/Lost...........................................3/2

The Lady Eagles won their lone exhibition game against Claflin University, 78-63 back on November 1st .

Saturday's SoCon Football Roundup

Furman 20, #3 Appalachian State 10
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Unranked Furman pulled off a 20-10 upset over third-ranked Appalachian State in Greenville Saturday afternoon at Paladin Stadium.

Chattanooga 24, Samford 9
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Chattanooga Mocs won 24-9 at Samford on Saturday afternoon at Seibert Stadium.  Chattanooga  played three quarterbacks while limiting the Bulldogs to a 9 point low this season.

Georgia Southern 14, The Citadel 12
STATESBORO, Ga. - Two blocked extra points and a missed field goal in the final seconds proved the difference in Georgia Southern's (8-1, 6-1) 14-12 win over The Citadel (4-5, 2-5) on Saturday, November 5th, at Paulson Stadium.

Wofford 42, Western Carolina 24
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Wofford defeated Western Carolina 42-24 at Whitmire Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Terriers jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead as Donovan Johnson and Eric Breitenstein each had 100+ rushing yards.

It's time to come home

What:  Battle for the Old Mountain Jug

Where:  Boone, NC

When:  Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 3:30 pm

Terriers Rush Past Western Carolina, 42-24

Courtesy WCU Sports

Cullowhee, NC - The Wofford Terriers, which came into the game leading the FCS in rushing yardage, ran for 500 yards on the ground in a 42-24 win over the Catamounts Saturday at Whitmire Stadium. "The good thing is our team played hard for four quarters. I'm proud of them for practicing hard and playing hard regardless of how things are going. They keep playing hard and I take my hat off to them for continuing to play hard." said Dennis Wagner after Saturday's game against Wofford.

Special Teams: Sophmore Clark Sechrest nailed a career-long, 51-yard field goal, while senior Blake Cain became WCU's all-time leading punter.

Western Carolina Women's Basketball vs Mars Hill (exh)

Women's Basketball vs Mars Hill (exh)

Time: Friday, November 4 · 7:00pm

Location: Cullowhee

Live Video: Catamount All Access (free viewing)

2011 Hall of Fame Class to be inducted Saturday

Four former student-athletes comprise the 2011 Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame class announced on July 6th 2011. The 22nd class will be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame on the weekend of November 4-6, 2011.


"Terry Helms (Track & Field, Cross Country, 1968-72) amassed 15 individual event championships and guided WCU to three district championships as a distance runner almost single-handedly putting Catamount Cross Country on the map.  A native of Kannapolis, N.C., Helms won nine of the 11 meets the team entered as a freshman, while also setting five course records and pacing the Catamounts to a 25th-place finish in the NAIA national championship meet. In 1969, he claimed top podium honors in five meets while setting three course records before finishing sixth in the NAIA national championship meet to become WCU's first-ever All-American in cross country. Over his final two seasons in cross country, Helms led WCU finishes of 15th and a school-best 13th in the national championship event as a senior.

Following his graduation from WCU, Helms embarked on a 32-year teaching
career including 26 years at Ledford Middle School in Thomasville, N.C. He retired from teaching in 2007 before passing away from mesothelioma in 2008.

In 2010, Helms' college roommate at WCU - 1972 graduate Gaither Keener and his wife Beverly - created an endowed scholarship fund in Terry's memory. The Terry M. Helms Endowed Scholarship Fund provides scholarship support for one WCU track or cross country distance runner each year."

______________________________________________________

"Todd Harkins (Football, 1989-92) was a three-time All-Southern Conference offensive lineman during his playing career at WCU, starting every game for four seasons at guard.  The Canton, N.C., product was the squad's top-rated blocker in both 1991 and `92, garnering second team All-America honors from The Sports Network and third team plaudits from the Associated Press in the latter. Over his last two seasons, he only surrendered one quarterback sack. Harkins is just one of 29 Catamount football players to earn All-America honors all-time, and just one of 20 since moving to NCAA Division I in 1976.

In 2000, Harkins was one of five offensive lineman selected to Western Carolina's 20th Century All-Time Football team which included players from 1931 through 1999. Of that group, he becomes the second to join the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame, joining 2006 inductee Mark Ferguson (1971-73).

A member of the Statesville Rotary Club and a 2000 inductee into the Pisgah High School Athletic Hall of Fame, Harkins has continued to be a strong supporter of Western Carolina since his graduation. He continually offers corporate sponsorship of various Catamount Club Golf Tour events such as the Catamount Classic and Bob Waters tournaments."

_____________________________________________________

"Chris Moore (Baseball,1996-99) was one of only three Western Carolina baseball players in school history to earn All-Southern Conference honors for four-consecutive seasons joining Freddie Hailey (1984-87) and Matt Raleigh (1989-92). A two-time All-America selection - garnering freshman All-America honors in 1996 and Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger All-America honors in '99 - Moore earned 1999 SoCon Player of the Year accolades, capping a string of three-straight seasons that a Catamount garnered top player honors.
At the time of his graduation, Moore not only led Western Carolina, but was the SoCon's all-time hits leader with 311, a mark that ranks him second in school history at the time of his induction. All told, Moore continues to rank inside the top 10 on 15 different statistical categories in the WCU record book including the program's all-time leader with 254 RBI, second in hits (311), doubles (68), runs scored (240) and total bases (545).

Moore, a Wilmington, N.C., native, was drafted in the 11th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft by the Colorado Rockies and spent four years in the Rockies' system before embarking on his coaching career. His first stop as a coach came as an assistant at Davidson College in 2003 before spending five years at Lander University, the final four seasons as the program's head coach guiding the squad to as high as No. 17 in the NCAA Division II national rankings. After a season at West Georgia University, Moore spent the 2010 season coaching infielders and hitters at ASU.

______________________________________________________

"Nardia Moore (Women's Soccer, 1999-2002) was the first-
ever signee for the WCU women's soccer program and was named to the WCU Women's Soccer 10th Anniversary Team in 2008. Named Soccer Buzz magazine's Freshman of the Year for First-Year programs in 1999, Moore remains Western Carolina's only three-time All-Southern Conference selection, garnering second team accolades from 1999 through 2002 and twice earning all-tournament recognition.

A native of Fountain Inn, S.C., Moore continues to rank atop two of WCU's career charts, while also owning a pair of single-season and single-game markers. She scored a school record 38 goals from 1999-02 - tied for eighth all-time in the SoCon - which includes a single-season record 15 in the inaugural season. She also ranks top the points tally with 96 career points including 38 in 1999 to hold the single-season record.

Moore, who owns both undergraduate and graduate degrees in special education / learning disorders from Western Carolina, helped lead the Catamounts to its first-ever women's soccer championship, sharing regular season honors with UNC Greensboro and Furman in 2001."

Courtesy: WCU Sports Information