Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Box Score – Niagara
Box Score – Mississippi State
 
STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Wofford College volleyball team began the Mississippi State Bulldog Classic on Friday inside MSU's Newell-Grissom Building, defeating Niagara University, 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-21), and falling to the Bulldogs, 3-1 (23-25, 25-13, 25-21, 25-8).
 
Wofford (3-5) earned its first sweep of the season in the defeat of Niagara (0-8), while Mississippi State (5-4) went a perfect 2-0 on the day by beating both the Terriers and the Purple Eagles.
 
"I was very happy with the day," Wofford head coach Ron Sweet said. "We had a really good meeting after the Converse match and the team implemented the main points we talked about that night. I was very happy with our heart and our hustle.
 
"We served very aggressively and dictated the offense off of our serves against Niagara. I thought we really were in control of the first two sets, but came out a little flat in the third and stopped playing so aggressively.
 
"Against Mississippi State, we were just unable to readjust. They made some adjustments after the first game and we tried to readjust and couldn't do it. They started hitting around us, over us and through us and we had no answer. On a positive note, I thought we played much better defense than them. I thought our serve-receive game was off, but our defense was phenomenal."
 
On defense, Jessica Graham had a career day. Graham went for 20-plus digs in both matches, setting her new career high with 24 against MSU. The sophomore averaged 6.29 in her seven sets played throughout the day.
 
"She comes to play every single day," Sweet said. "She is playing so well right now and at such a high level."
 
Junior Taylor Baird was the leader on offense, totaling 26 kills for the pair of matches and averaging 3.71 per set. Baird also hit at a solid .298 (26-9-57), including a team-high 14 kills against Mississippi State. Senior Amanda Liguori had 21 kills combined while hitting .136 (21-10-81), recording a double-digit dig match with 12 against MSU. Sophomore Liz Buterbaugh hit a team-best .417 (11-1-24) on the day, including a .583 (7-0-12) showing against the Bulldogs.
 
Senior setter Bekah Dorsey came away with 71 assists, earning 34 in the three-set win over Niagara and 37 in four sets against Mississippi State.
 
The Wofford volleyball team faces both Niagara and Mississippi State again on Saturday, beginning the day at 1:30 p.m., ET against MSU and closing out the Bulldog Classic at 4:30 p.m., versus Niagara.
 
Match Recap: Wofford 3 – Niagara 0
 
A dominating start set the tone and Wofford cruised to a sweep of Niagara, 3-0. The Terriers outhit the Purple Eagles .279 to .073 for the match, winning the first ever meeting between the two squads.
 
Liguori and Baird got it going on offense, putting down four kills each in the opening set. Wofford took seven consecutive points with the score 5-5, ending the run on two of Baird's three opening set aces to take a commanding 12-5 lead. The biggest lead of the set was 12, which the Terriers took at 23-11 before winning it, 25-13.
 
Set two was never in doubt either. Just like the first, Wofford never trailed and kept the Purple Eagles at an arm's length most of the set. Three straight points at 5-5 gave Wofford its initial separation and the Terriers led by as many as seven before taking the set by six.
 
The third set saw the Terriers play from behind most of the way, but come back and start the Bulldog Classic with a win. Niagara led 15-10 and Wofford went on an 8-2 run to take an 18-17 advantage, its first lead since 1-0. The Purple Eagles stayed competitive and retook the lead at 21-20, but a pair of aces by Bekah Dorsey helped Wofford take the final five points of the set and its first sweep of the season.
 
Match Recap: Mississippi State 3 – Wofford 1

A close first set was won by the Terriers, but Mississippi State made some adjustments and won sets two, three and four to come out victorious.
 
Though the first set was close, Wofford took a lead at 3-2 and held on the rest of the way. Baird went for five of her team-high 14 kills in the match and Liguori put down four while the Terriers hit .382 as a team in the opening set.
 
The second set played close until Mississippi State went on an 11-0 run to close it out and win 25-13. The run came with the score 14-13 and Mississippi State used the momentum to take a big 23-14 lead in set three. Wofford fought back by scoring six straight points and getting to within three, but it was too late for a comeback and the Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead.
 
Set four was all Bulldogs, 25-8, scoring 12 of the first 15 points and the final eight of the set.
 
Terrier Notes
- Jessica Graham set a career high with 24 digs against Mississippi State.
- Friday's meetings against Niagara and Mississippi State marked the first time Wofford has played either school.