SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford volleyball team rebounded from a straight-set setback earlier this week with a crucial victory at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on Friday evening, dropping the league-leading Mercer Bears (11-9, 7-2 SoCon) in four sets, 25-21, 17-25, 26-24, 25-22, to complete the series sweep and hand the Bears their second conference loss of the season. Outside hitters Mary Emily Morgan and Kennedy Smith paced the Terriers in double figures with career-high performances, including Smith's third double-double this season, while sophomore setter Emily Hodsdon added her team-high seventh double-double of the season en route to the win.
 
The win marks Wofford's first series sweep over Mercer since 2017, as Mercer's lone two SoCon losses have been delivered by the Terriers.
 
Additionally, Wofford moves to 7-2 on the season when playing at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, having won its past four consecutive matchups on its home court.
 
Freshman Mary Emily Morgan led the Terriers with a career-high 18 kills, her third match this season with double-digit kill totals, and a block and six digs. Junior Kennedy Smith stuffed the stat sheet with a double-double of 11 kills and a career-high 21 digs, marking her fifth of her career, as Smith also set a career-high with five aces on the night, along with dishing two assists.
 
Emily Hodsdon tallied 37 assists and 14 digs for her seventh double-double, and 14^th of her career, while also adding two kills. Classmate Sarah Barham recorded seven kills and a block, while junior Meghan Yaffa provided six kills. Sophomore libero Kaitlyn Brown totaled 19 digs and dished out a career-best six assists, along with an ace.
 
Junior middle hitter Emory Wyatt added three kills and two blocks, while senior Robyn Krause recorded a season-high six digs to pair with an assist and an ace. Addison Foote finished with six digs and an ace.

Wofford posted 68 digs to Mercer's 64 for the match, marking its second-best dig total in four sets this season. 
 
Wofford came out on the attack to start the match, blitzing the Bears for an early 8-2 lead after a Kennedy Smith ace and Mercer timeout. Kills from Meghan Yaffa and Emily Hodsdon then pushed a nine-point edge, 13-4, as successful swings from Mary Emily Morgan and Sarah Barham went on to burn Mercer's final timeout at 17-9. The Bears then used a 4-1 run to come within four (18-14), as efforts from Yaffa and Morgan kept a 22-19 advantage. Mercer's Annie Karle brought the match within two out of Wofford's final timeout, 22-20, though Yaffa and Morgan continued to pace the Terriers down the stretch before Addison Foote landed a crucial ace to take the first, 25-21.
 
The Bears came alive hitting .321 in the second frame to rebound from the first-set deficit with a 25-17 second-set victory, as Mercer continued to hold the momentum in looking poised to claim the third set with a late 21-19 advantage.
 
Down 21-19, Wofford received a pair of crucial points on back-to-back Mercer ball-handling errors, deadlocking the match at 21-21 at a Bears timeout. A Mercer kill and ace rekindled a two-point edge, 23-21, followed by a huge solo block from Mercer's Brittany Major to bring set point (24-21). An unlucky service error doomed the Bears in handing over possession, as Mary Emily Morgan then swung a timely kill home to force Mercer's final timeout leading by one, 24-23. Back-to-back solo blocks from Morgan and Emory Wyatt immediately swung the advantage and momentum back in Wofford's favor, as the Bears would then play into an attack error to hand the Terriers the third set, 26-24.
 

WHAT A BLOCK BY EMORY WYATT!!!#GoTerriers🤘 pic.twitter.com/ruMWLsuLl8

— Wofford Volleyball (@WoffordVB) October 22, 2021

The final set was played close, seeing Wofford lead 12-10 prior to scoring seven of the ensuing 10 points to bust out a 19-13 lead after a trio of kills from Morgan and Kennedy Smith. Smith extended the lead with a pair of aces on serve (22-13), as Morgan and Smith continued to produce offensively to bring set point at 24-17. A Morgan attack error and Mercer ace allowed Wofford to talk things over with a timeout at 24-19, as the Bears built on the brief momentum with a 3-0 spurt to burn Wofford's final timeout at 24-22. With the Wofford faithful on its feet, Emily Hodsdon would fittingly set up Mary Emily Morgan for her career-high 18^th kill of the night to end the match at 25-22 and grant Wofford its fifth SoCon victory.
 
Mercer had four Bears finish in double figures, led by Rayanne de Oliviera and Jaida Howell with 13 and 12 kills, respectively.
 
Wofford (11-11, 5-5 SoCon) returns to action on its home court tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 23, as the Terriers prepare for a crucial SoCon bout with the Samford Bulldogs (4-16, 3-6 SoCon), who fell to The Citadel tonight, 3-1. First serve is slated for a 6 p.m. start at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.