CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Senior Julymar Otero and junior Jocelyn Kuilan recorded 11 kills each to lead the Towson University volleyball team to a 3-0 win over Jacksonville State in the opening match of the Catamount Classic, hosted by Western Carolina on Friday. The Tigers won their season opener for the second straight year.

THE BASICS
Towson 3, Jacksonville State 0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-20)
Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, N.C.
Day One of the Catamount Classic

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A kill from Otero allowed the Tigers to open up an 8-4 lead in the first set. Towson used a 6-1 run, featuring three kills and a service ace from sophomore Annie Ertz, to push its advantage to 17-8 and forced the Gamecocks to call timeout. The Tigers then used another 6-1 run to close out a 25-13 set victory. Otero had three kills during that stretch.
• Towson hit .438 to Jacksonville State's .033 in the set. Redshirt junior Anna Holehouse had 10 digs in the set and moved into the top 10 for career digs at Towson in the process.
• The second set was the closest of the match as the two sides battled through eight ties and one lead change. With the set tied at 16-16, Towson used a 4-1 run to take a 20-17 edge and forced Jacksonville State to call timeout. Kills from Otero and junior Olamide Sonuga gave Towson a 23-18 lead. After the Gamecocks called their second timeout, the Tigers used a kill from senior Payton Windell to secure a 25-18 set win. That gave the Black and Gold attack a 2-0 lead in the match.
• Kuilan and Otero combined for 10 of the Tigers' 18 kills in the set.
• Back-to-back kills from junior Carola Biver gave Towson a 6-3 lead in the third set. A block from Kuiland Sonuga helped push the advantage to 13-9. A service ace from Ertz gave the Tigers a 17-11 lead. The two teams battled down the stretch before a kill from Otero gave Towson a 25-20 set win and victory in the match.
• Sophomore Marrisa Wonders had eight assists and five digs in the third set to lead the Tigers efforts. 

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Towson won its season opener for the second straight year and third time in six tries under head coach Don Metil.
• The Tigers hit .315 in the match while holding Jacksonville State to a .110 percentage. Last year the Tigers were 21-2 when they held opponents to a hitting percentage below .200.
• Kuilan, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Preseason Player of the Year, had 11 kills and hit .346 while Otero added 11 kills while hitting .421.
• Wonders contributed 23 assists and 10 digs for her double-double performance. She now has 21 double-doubles in 34 career matches.
• Holehouse finished with 23 digs and now has 1,101 career digs. She ranks ninth in program history for career digs.
• Jennifer Hart led Jacksonville State with 17 assists and eight digs.

The Tigers wrap up the Catamount Classic with a pair of matches on Saturday, Aug. 26. Towson faces Western Carolina at 12:30 p.m. and Charleston Southern at 4 p.m.