SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Trailing 25-24 in the fourth set,
Catie Cronister's 20th kill of the night sparked Wofford to a 27-25 victory over UNCG at Richardson Indoor Stadium on Saturday evening. The Terriers won the first two sets in convincing fashion (25-13, 25-12), before dropping the third set 25-20 and clinching the match 27-25 in the fourth.
Lorissa King continued her run of recording double-digit assists, totaling 23 against the Spartans while teammate
Taylor Gill tallied 27 digs in the victory.
Looking to take control of the match early, the Terriers held an 8-5 lead when a
Colleen Reilly kill ignited the Wofford offense as the team took eight of the next nine points to take a commanding 16-6 lead. The Spartans would not come closer than nine points, being finished off by an
Alex Holland kill.
Set two was similar to the first, this time with a
Bijonae Jones kill that sparked a 7-0 run to give Wofford a 14-5 advantage. The Terriers continued to pull away from UNCG and capped off the second set with one of Cronister's 20 kills.
UNCG came out attacking in the third set, jumping out to an 8-2 lead. The Terriers would cut into the deficit multiple times, including when Cronister recorded a kill to make the score 19-16 in favor of the Spartans. A pair of errors swung the momentum back to UNCG however, as the match was sent to a fourth set.
Neither team could gain control in the fourth set and when Wofford took a 12-9 lead, UNCG responded with four points in a row to take a 13-12 advantage. Trailing 21-19, the Terriers reeled off three points in a row. The Spartans would not quit, taking a 25-24 lead to force match point for Wofford.
With the match on the line,
Catie Cronister tactfully recorded her 20th kill of the night, placing it just inside the sideline to knot the score up at 25 apiece.
Lauren Miller stepped up and recorded a service ace and Holland sealed the victory for Wofford when she sent home a kill to make the score 27-25.
With the win, Wofford improves to 10-11 on the year and 3-5 in the SoCon. The Terriers remain home, welcoming Chattanooga on Friday before hosting Samford on Saturday.
