SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After a hard fought 10-sets the day before, the Presbyterian Volleyball team (1-5) fell to the Wofford Terriers (4-2) in a straight-set battle, 3-0 (13-25, 16-25, 18-25) on Saturday, September 7.
 
COACH BENSON'S THOUGHTS
"Wofford is a good team. They run a fast offense so we had to keep adjusting. Being exposed to these different teams before we get into conference helps us adapt and learn different styles. Overall, I think we competed well, we just gave up some runs in each of the sets which put us in a tough position."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST SET
The Blue Hose wasted no time getting on the board, with Hannah Rowe and Courtney Williams delivering powerful kills to give Presbyterian an early 2-1 lead. However, the Terriers quickly responded, winning the next two points before Julia Yurkovich tied the score at 3-3 with a well-placed kill. Despite Anna Baranski's quick kill to keep momentum, Wofford extended their lead to 7-4. Baranski struck again to narrow the gap, but the Terriers answered with another three-point surge. Baranski continued her strong play, sneaking in a clever second-hit attack to bring the score to 11-6.
 
A Williams kill and a Wofford attack error soon cut the deficit to three. After a back-and-forth exchange of points, highlighted by kills from Williams and Yurkovich, the Blue Hose found themselves trailing 14-11. Wofford reached 15 points first, sending the teams into a media timeout. Elyse Hutchinson then matched a Wofford kill, and Courtney Aulbaugh followed with a service ace, narrowing the score to 16-13. Even with strong play from Presbyterian's front line, Wofford surged ahead with a nine-point run, ultimately closing out the first set 25-13.
 
SECOND SET
Wofford came out firing in the second set, securing six of the first seven points. A service error gave PC a brief respite, but four more points from the Terriers extended their lead to eight. Ashley Miller responded with a powerful kill, making it 10-3. The teams then traded points, including a kill from Williams, bringing the score to 13-6. The Blue Hose began to find their rhythm, rattling off four consecutive points with kills from Baranski (two), Miller, and Aliza Hart. However, Wofford quickly answered with a pair of kills to push the score to 15-10.
 
After a media timeout, a long rally ended in Wofford's favor, but the Blue Hose fought back in the next extended rally, with Baranski finishing it off for Presbyterian. The Terriers regained control, taking the next two points to make it 18-11. Following a Blue Hose timeout, both teams traded blows, with Brittney Daphnis registering her first kill of the day and Williams securing her fifth. A Wofford kill widened the gap to 22-13, but the Blue Hose attempted to rally as Daphnis added a solo block and Yurkovich nailed a kill, narrowing the deficit to 22-16. Despite their push, Wofford took the final three points, clinching the set 25-16.
 
THIRD SET
The Terriers started strong in the third set, claiming the first four points undeterred by solid attack attempts from Miller and Yurkovich. Presbyterian got on the board after a Wofford attack error, but momentum slipped away as the Terriers tacked on two more points to extend their lead to 6-1. A service error from Wofford, followed by a block from Daphnis and Williams, cut the deficit to 6-3. However, a trio of kills from the Terriers pushed the lead back to six. Williams halted Wofford's run with a well-placed kill, and Yurkovich followed with a strike inside the 10-foot line, bringing the score to 10-5.
 
Despite a kill from the other side, the Blue Hose kept pressing, with Daphnis and Hutchinson each adding kills to close the gap to 10-7. Wofford answered with two more points, but another service error made it 12-8. The Terriers then went on a five-point run, extending their lead. An attack error ended Wofford's streak, but they still held a 17-10 advantage. The next two points also went Wofford's way before another service error set the score at 19-11.
 
Miller responded with a kill, but Wofford capitalized on back-to-back plays to take a 21-12 lead. Refusing to back down, the Blue Hose rallied with four consecutive points, including a pair of kills from Williams and a service ace by Aubrie Arnold, narrowing the gap to 21-16. Presbyterian managed two more points, but Wofford closed the set with a 25-18 victory.
 
NOTABLES
- Baranski notched her third double-double of the season, recording 19 assists and 16 digs. She also added six kills.
- Williams recorded nine kills and a pair of blocks.
- Arnold achieved her first collegiate service ace in the third set.
 
WOFFORD INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Laney Klika (Wofford) - MVP
Bradley Brown (Wofford)
Sarah MacLean (Wofford)
Aley Clent (Campbell)
Riley Dean (Campbell)
Anna Baranski (Presbyterian)
Anna Grace Sparks (Queens)
 
UP NEXT
The Blue Hose will host the Temple Owls as their home opener in Templeton Center on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.