Box Score Box Score (pdf)

CONWAY, S.C. – The Wofford volleyball team gave Iowa everything it could handle, pushing the Hawkeyes to their limits but eventually falling in five sets (25-14, 20-25, 26-24, 17-25, 15-8) in the season opener Friday night from Coastal Carolina's HTC Center.
 
Wofford (0-1) cruised through the fourth set, leading by as many as nine points, to bring the match to the fifth. Iowa (1-0) jumped ahead 6-1 in the deciding set with the help of five straight points and never surrendered the lead. With the final of Lauren Brobst's match-high 23 kills, Iowa escaped the Terriers and day one of the Chanticleer Invitational.
 
"I'm impressed. I was proud of our effort in this fight," said Wofford head coach Ron Sweet, who coached his first match at the helm of the Terrier program. "Our girls fought so hard to play against a fantastic opponent. I think, even though we lost, we learned a lot about ourselves and learned that we can play with anybody."
 
Pacing Wofford on the attack were seniors Amanda Liguori and Wendy Burnett. Liguori finished with a team-high 14 kills to go along with nine errors on her 50 attempts (.100), while Burnett hit a blistering .522 with 13 kills and just a single error on 23 total attacks. Liguori added a team-high 18 digs for her 22nd career double-double. Senior setter Bekah Dorsey led all players with 43 assists, also adding 14 digs to mark her 31st career double-double.
 
The Terriers also got some key play from sophomore Jessica Graham who wound up with 13 digs and three service aces, and was commended by Coach Sweet.
 
"Jessica Graham was unbelievable tonight," said Sweet. "I told her how proud of her we were afterward."
 
In what was the first ever match between the two sides, a close first set turned in favor of the Hawkeyes. With the score 10-9, Iowa took nine of the next 11 points and a commanding 19-11 lead before winning the opening set by 11. Wofford went ahead by six early in the second set, but six straight Iowa points nodded the score at 13. The two teams battled back and forth until kills by Burnett and freshman Ellie Tallman helped the Terriers take the final four points of the set, 25-20, leveling the score 1-1 at the intermission.
 
The third set got away from the Terriers and ultimately cost them the match. Leading the whole way and ahead 24-20, Wofford looked primed to take its first lead of the match. Unfortunately, Iowa responded with six consecutive points to take a heartbreaker. Wofford bounced back to take the fourth decisively, but it would not be enough as Iowa walked away with the win.
 
The Wofford volleyball team is back in action on Saturday with two matches to close out the Chanticleer Invitational. The Terriers begin against Coastal Carolina at 11 a.m., and wrap things up against Youngstown State at 4:30 p.m.
 
Terrier Notes
 - Bekah Dorsey posted her 31st career double-double (43 Ast., 14 Digs), which leads all active players
 - Amanda Liguori posted her 22nd career double-double (14 Kills, 18 Digs)
 - The match was Ron Sweet's first as head coach of the Wofford Terriers
 - The meeting was the first in series history between Iowa and Wofford