SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Wofford volleyball team cruised past Norfolk State (25-21, 25-15, 25-15) and Delaware State (25-14, 25-20, 25-16), winning each of their two Saturday matches in three sets in the Phoenix Classic.

The Terriers rebounded from a close, five set defeat to Elon on Friday night by taking control early against Norfolk State and never looking back. In fact, after Wofford trailed, 1-0 in the first set, they never fell behind the rest of the match.

After losing the first point of the match, the Terriers reeled off seven straight points to take a 7-1 lead. Norfolk State responded by closing the gap to 13-12, but Wofford then took six of the next seven points to take a 20-14 that the Spartans could not erase.

Catie Cronister led the Terriers with four kills in the set, while Madeline Savage recorded eleven digs.

In the second set, Wofford never trailed, and rolled to a dominant, 25-15 win. Kara Shacklette led the team with four kills in the set, with Colleen Reilly and Cronister pitching in with three each. 

The third set was much of the same for the Terriers, as they jumped out to an early lead and were never threatened. Wofford won the last five points of the match to clinch a second consecutive 25-15 win. 

Overall, Cronister recorded a team high eight kills, while Shacklette and Reilly each had seven.  Savage also had a standout performance, leading the team with 16 digs.

In their second match of the day, against Delaware State, Wofford built on their momentum from the morning match, winning the first set, 25-14. The Terriers never trailed in the set and were led by Bella Santoro and Reilly, who tied for the team lead with four kills.

The second set proved more challenging, as Wofford trailed, 8-4, early on. However, the Terriers won four straight points to pull back even. The two teams went back and forth throughout the middle of the set, but with the score tied at 15, Wofford took six consecutive points to take a commanding lead and build a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Terriers left no doubt in the third set, winning eight of the first nine points. For Delaware State, the hole was too deep to climb out of. They were able to cut the Wofford lead to 15-10, but the Terriers responded with another surge to run away with the set, 25-16.

Bella Santoro shined in the victory for Wofford, leading the team with 11 kills and 17 digs. Reilly and Alex Holland also continued their strong recent performances, finishing tied for second on the team with 10 kills each. 

With the two wins on Saturday, Wofford has now won three of its last four matches and evened up its record at 5-5.

Up next, the Terriers head to Winston-Salem, N.C. for the Black and Gold Invitational next weekend. Wofford will battle Wake Forest next Friday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m., before playing two matches again next Saturday, as they take on Charlotte at 10:30 a.m. and High Point at 5 p.m.