SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Mercer scored the final eight points of the fifth set and handed the Wofford volleyball team its fifth straight Southern Conference defeat (24-26, 25-18, 19-25, 25-23, 8-15) Wednesday night at Benjamin Johnson Arena.
 
Wofford led the fifth set 8-7 before Mercer went on an 8-0 run to end it. The Terriers were blocked five times in the set, including four times through the final five points. Three straight rejections finished off the match.
 
Mercer's Cara Tripp was a key part of the momentum swing. She slammed two kills to start the final run and was a part of all four closing blocks. The fifth-year senior finished the evening with a double-double of 10 kills and 10 blocks.
 
When it was over, Mercer had come up with 16 total blocks. It marked the most times Wofford had been blocked all season and the 10th time an opponent has posted double figures, including four times in the last five outings.
 
Wofford (10-15, 2-6 SoCon) did all it could just to make it to the fifth set. Down 2-1 after three, the Terriers fought through a fourth of 15 ties and five lead changes. Trailing 17-16, the home team scored four straight with the help of two kills from senior Taylor Baird and a pair of blocks by junior Liz Buterbaugh. It was the final time the lead changed hands and sophomore Ellie Tallman clinched the fourth 25-23 to force the tiebreak.
 
Baird and freshman Bella Santoro each tallied a match-high 21 kills. The senior hit an impressive .320 and had seven digs, while Santoro earned her eighth double-double of the year with 12 digs. Tallman put together her second-largest offensive output of the season with 13 kills.
 
Wofford's attack was assisted the whole way by rookie setter Molly Mayo. She earned a match-high 60 assists and also had 12 digs for her double-double, as well as a team-high four blocks. Junior libero Jessica Graham led a trio of Terriers to post double-figure digs, completing the night with 19.
 
It was not enough for the win. Molly Locke, Emily Krogman and Tripp finished the match with double-figure kills. None went over 15, but the Bears hit .280 as a team, outpacing Wofford's mark of .196 by 84 points. Four Bears also recorded double-figure digs, led by Tori Penrod's match-high 24.
 
Mercer's 16 blocks were the most damaging, accounting for nearly a third of Wofford's 32 attack errors. Meanwhile, the Terrier block was good for only six.
 
A nearly two-hour affair got off to an exciting start in the first. Wofford grabbed the opening three points and led 6-1 early, but it was a tight set from there. Mercer responded and led through most of the middle part, before Wofford took the lead back 18-17. The teams traded points to come to a 24-all tie. Jordon then put it away, securing the next two points on back-to-back kills as the Bears hit .308 for a 1-0 lead.
 
Mercer's attack continued to impress in the second, hitting .303, but Wofford was unstoppable. Led by six kills on 11 attempts from Baird, the Terriers hit .515 (19-2-33) to run away by seven. A 7-2 run turned a two-point set into a 22-15 Wofford lead. Redshirt freshman Alyse High, Baird and Tallman all contributed, as did Mayo who finished the set with 17 assists. Santoro went on to score the final four Terrier points to level the match at a set apiece.
 
The Bear attack turned it up even more in the third, cruising to a 25-19 win. Mercer continued to hit above .300, registering a mark of .370 in the third. They had just 11 kills to Wofford's 13, but the Terriers suffered from eight attack errors. Four of them were caused by blocks. Wofford hit just .116 and never took a lead after Mercer went up 9-8. Tied at 15, the Bears went on a 6-1 run to grab control and finished it off for a 2-1 lead.
 
Mercer finally cooled off in the fourth, hitting just .059 with five Wofford blocks contributing to the low total. Mayo and freshman Danni Densford teamed up for three of the blocks, helping Wofford sneak past and force the fifth set.
 
The volleyball team will look to get a Southern Conference win on Saturday, hosting Western Carolina as part of the 2014 Wofford Homecoming. The match starts at 7 p.m.