BLACKSBURG, VA. – The Wofford volleyball team suffered a pair of setbacks on the opening day of the Hokie Invite on Friday, dropping a hard fought straight-set decision against North Carolina A&T, 3-0, in Friday morning's first match prior falling to host Virginia Tech in Friday evening's matchup at Cassell Coliseum. Despite the losses, junior middle hitter Emory Wyatt stepped up for Wofford with a pair of career-best performances in both matches to highlight Wofford's performances on the day.
 
MATCH ONE | N.C. A&T (L – 22-25, 18-25, 21-25)
 
Wyatt was a bright spot for the Terriers, accounting for a career-high 10.0 points in the match with six kills and a career-best six blocks, while outside hitter Meghan Yaffa followed with a team-high seven kills, five digs and three blocks.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Barham added five kills and four blocks, as freshman Mary Emily Morgan registered six kills and nine digs. Setter Emily Hodsdon tallied a match-best 27 assists to combine with four blocks, two kills and six digs, while Bella Zeman added five kills and a dig. Sophomore Addison Foote recorded four kills, a block and 11 digs.
 
The opening sets were competitive between both squads, though, the Aggies managed to build off its momentum late in the first two sets to pull away.
 
Wofford hopped out to early leads in the first set, as the Aggies would regroup after an early timeout to play up to a 14-14 deadlock. An Aggies kill reclaimed a brief edge, though, consecutive errors then put the Terriers back on serve for an opportunity to find a rhythm. Mary Emily Morgan would be the catalyst for a 5-0 Wofford run, as Morgan sent home a kill, followed by a timely Addison Foote ace on serve (18-15). A subsequent attack error by the Aggies then forced A&T to burn its last timeout trailing 19-15. N.C. A&T returned with persistence out of the break, recording seven of the following 10 points to knot the margin up at 22-22 and force Wofford to use both timeouts en route. The Aggies reclaimed the advantage with a kill and ace for set point, as a Wofford attack error handed over the first set, 25-22.
 
The Aggies opened with a brief cushion prior to a Wofford 5-0 run claiming an early 9-8 edge. Yaffa came out of a Wofford timeout with a kill, as A&T errors paired with back-to-back Addison Foote swings put the Terriers back ahead. From there, both squads traded points, with Emory Wyatt and Mary Emily Morgan kills in the midst, playing up to a 14-14 deadlock before N.C. A&T would rattle off seven of the following 10 points to take a 21-17 advantage. An Addison Foote kill ensued after Wofford's final timeout, though, the Aggies kept a consistent attack to dial away the remaining four points, 25-18.
 
N.C. A&T rode its momentum into the third frame, jumping out big on the Terriers with a 15-6 margin by Wofford's first timeout. Millie Loehr connected on a swing out of the intermission, though, the Aggies continued to push the edge, 19-8. Bella Zeman then gave Wofford relief with her own 3-0 run on a trio of kills to force the Aggies to regroup with a timeout at 18-12. The Terriers competed with urgency in looking to close the gap, as A&T errors and a Sarah Barham kill at 22-16 instilled Wofford's comeback senses. Mary Emily Morgan followed with a consecutive kill, though, an Aggies block immediately after brought set point at 24-17. A trio of A&T errors, capped by blocks from Emory Wyatt and Emily Hodsdon and a successive Hodsdon kill, then gave the Terriers brief momentum up until A&T's Edie Brewer managed to find the answer to give the Aggies the straight-set victory, 25-21.
 
N.C. A&T (6-4) was led by Niaya Sawtelle with 14 kills, an ace and three digs, while Fatimah Shabazz followed with 10 kills and a block.
 
 
MATCH TWO | VIRGINIA TECH (L – 16-25, 24-26, 13-25)
 
Wyatt led the way in Wofford's second match, following up with a new career-high of 10 kills on 16 swings (.500) and a block. Barham also provided a plethora of contributions for the Terriers with six kills, two aces and three blocks.
 
Meghan Yaffa recorded eight kills and three digs, while Emily Hodsdon fell just short of a double-double with 26 assists and nine digs. Mary Emily Morgan finished with four kills and eight digs, while Alexa Bertsch and Bella Zeman added two kills and one kill each, respectively.
 
Wofford opened the match on the right note, executing through the set's opening points with an 8-5 lead. Sarah Barham, Meghan Yaffa, Mary Emily Morgan and Emory Wyatt paced the Terriers up until the Hokies would come alive to reclaim a 15-12 lead by the media timeout, as Tech kept its pace to force a Wofford timeout trailing 18-13. Another Wofford timeout would ensue at 20-14 as errors would plague the Terriers through the latter portion of the set. The Terriers would receive points off a Wyatt kill and VT bad set down the stretch, though, the Hokies would wrap things up, 25-16, in the first.
 
The Terriers hung with Virginia Tech throughout the second set, as Wyatt boosted the Terriers with a trio of early kills before a Barham swing burned a Hokies timeout holding a 12-8 lead. The Hokies would tie the margin, though, a crucial Meghan Yaffa kill followed by a Hokie attack error and Barham ace gave Wofford a three-point cushion at 17-14. Wofford errors then unfortunately handed easy points over to the Hokies, as efforts from Wyatt and Mary Emily Morgan ensued, though, Tech would claim a two-point advantage, 24-22. A timely Yaffa kill and VT error then knotted the match at 24-all prior to back-to-back Virginia Tech kills concluding the set in the Hokies' favor, 26-24.
 
Both squads played up to a 7-7 deadlock prior to a Virginia Tech ace and pair of blocks that pushed a four-point cushion for the Hokies, 11-7. Alexa Bertsch found a couple kills in her first appearance of the day, though, a pair of errors would force the Terriers to revisit the game plan at 14-8. Efforts from Yaffa, Morgan and Wyatt followed to keep the Terriers' hopes alive, however, the Hokies were well into the thick of its momentum after back-to-back VT kills burned Wofford's final timeout at 22-13. The Hokies would answer with another block out of the break, as the Hokies then cleaned up with a kill and ace to clinch the match, 25-13.
 
Virginia Tech was led by Griere Hughes with 12 kills, three blocks and seven digs, while Amanda Lowe rounded out the Hokies in double figures with 11 kills and four blocks.
 
Wofford (5-6) is back in action in Blacksburg, Va. tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 18, against George Mason for a 1 p.m. matchup at Cassell Coliseum.