Box Score Box score (pdf)
ELON, N.C. – The Wofford volleyball team dropped a back and forth match 3-2 (23-25, 25-19, 25-23, 20-25, 18-16) to Elon Friday night in Alumni Gymnasium in a Southern Conference match.
The Terriers, who held two match points in the contest, drop to 12-9 overall and 3-6 in the SoCon, while the Phoenix survive to improve to 11-13 overall and 4-5 in the conference.
Wofford took an early 4-1 lead in the opening set highlighted by two blocks from Amanda Liguori and Wendy Burnett. Elon answered by cutting the lead to 6-5 off a kill by Chanelle Smith and a Terrier attack error. Kills by Burnett and Woodlee sparked a 4-0 Terrier run as they pulled out to a 10-5 lead. Elon made a run at the set as they cut the gap to 12-9 on a kill from Chanelle Smith, but Wofford responded and push the lead back to five points, 15-10. A 5-0 Phoenix run tied the match at 15 on a kill by Megan Gravely. The two teams traded points until Wofford used a solo block by Woodlee and an ace by Liguori to give the Terriers a 19-17 lead. The points started a 5-1 Wofford run as they pulled ahead 22-18. Elon answered with its own 3-0 run highlighted by a kill from Smith to cut the lead to 22-21. After trading points, Wofford ended the set, 25-23, with a kill from Taylor Baird and Liguori.
Neither team could pull out to a lead in the second set until the Phoenix picked up a kill by Smith and an ace by Chelsea Rafetto that gave Elon a 7-5 advantage. The Phoenix opened the gap to 11-6 sparked by a kill from Kris Harris and two Terrier attack errors. Elon built on its lead, 16-8, with back-to-back aces from Ana Nicksic.. Wofford answered with kills from Woodlee and Baird to cut the gap to 16-11, but the Phoenix responded with a 3-0 to take control to of the set, 19-11. Trialing 21-13, Wofford mounted a 4-0 run highlighted by block from Liz Buterbaugh and Burnett to cut the lead to five points, 21-17. Wofford pulled within four points, 23-19, on a kill from Arden Anderson, but Elon fought off the Wofford comeback as they won the set 25-19.
In the third set, Wofford pulled out to a 5-2 lead as they took advantage of three Elon errors. The Terriers held the three point lead, until the Phoenix took a 9-8 lead in the set aided by two Wofford errors and block by Nicksic and Harris. Wofford retook the lead with an Elon service error and a block by Burnett and Baird. With the set tied at 14, the Phoenix used to Terrier attack errors to take a 16-14 lead, Wofford retied the set at 17 following a kill by Alex Bidgood and block by Bidgood and Liguori. Trailing 20-19, Wofford got three consecutive kills from Burnett to take a 22-20 lead and force a Phoenix timeout. Following the timeout, Elon took a 23-22 lead on a Harris ace, but Liguori evened the set at 23 with a kill. Elon ended the set, 25-23, with the final two points on a kill by Megan Gravley and an ace by Nicksic.
Wofford took four of the first five points in the fourth set, and held a five-point lead, 9-4 early in the set. Elon trimmed the margin to 10-7 on two kills from Smith, but Buterbaugh kill and Phoenix attack error gave Wofford a 12-7 advantage. Elon again fought back and cut the lead to two points, 12-10, but Wofford answered with the next points to push the lead back to 14-10. Wofford kept Elon at-bay as they lead went back and forth between three and four points, until Elon used a kill by Gravely to cut the lead to 19-17. Wofford responded with a kill from Liguori to keep the margin at three points, 20-17. Wofford took the lead out to 23-18 on Liguori kill, as they held on for the 25-20 set four win.
The teams traded the first ten points, before Elon got a kill from Smith, and an ace from Ali Deatsch off the top of the net and a Wofford attack error to take an 8-5 lead. Wofford answered with a kill from Woodlee that sparked a 3-1 Terrier run to bring to lead one point, 9-8. Burnett and Buterbaugh combined for a key block during the run. After trading the next two points, Wofford tied the set on net call against Elon. Trailing 11-10, Wofford won the next two points on a kill by Burnett and an Elon attack error. Gravely retied the set at 12, but Burnett again gave Wofford the one-point edge, 13-12. Following a Terrier service error, to tie the set at 13, Elon got a kill from Eddy to take a 14-13 lead. Wofford fought off match point on an Elon service error and earned its first match point off a Phoenix attack error. Smith tied the set at 15 on a kill, but Wofford responded with a kill from Woodlee to earn its second match point. Elon stayed alive on a Terrier service error, and earned its second match point as an Elon dig went across and landed in play. Elon won the set, 18-16, on a Smith kill that was long, but called a touch against the Terriers.
Wofford held a higher hitting percentage that Elon, .191 to .148, and won the battle at the net with 14 team blocks compared to 11 team blocks. However, the Terriers committed 17 service errors compared to just nine for Elon.
Liguori and Woodlee tied for the Wofford lead in kills with 14 kills. Ligouri had a team-high 18.5 points, as she added four total blocks and two aces. She also added 11 digs to earn her seventh double-double of the season. Burnett followed with 13 kills and a .357 hitting percentage. Bekah Dorsey handed out a 45 assists and picked up 12 digs to earn her team leading eighth double-double.
Smith tallied 17 kills, and Megan Gravely added 16 kills to led the Elon attack. Harris notched 11 kills and five total blocks. Smith picked up 14 digs to earn a double-double, while Deatsch had a match-high 19 kills. Nicksic passed out 47 assists running the Phoenix offense.
Wofford returns to play Saturday night at UNCG at 7 p.m.
