CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Wofford volleyball team was locked in a battle with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers inside TD Arena, but it was the Terriers who prevailed in five sets (17-25, 25-20, 25-21, 16-25, 15-8) Friday evening. Wofford opens the College of Charleston Classic with a win to improve to 3-4 on the young season, notching its first back-to-back triumphs of the campaign.
 
The win is Wofford's first ever over Coastal Carolina. The Terriers were previously 0-7, though the squads had not met since 2013, also a five-set match.
 
Wofford held a 7-5 lead in aces to claim the win despite trailing Coastal in most of the major team statistical categories. The Chanticleers accrued more points (75-71), kills (60-57), blocks (10-7) and digs (92-79). But the Terriers held a slight assist lead 52-51 and more importantly, the final score of 3-2.
 
The Terriers were paced by four with double-digit kills. Bella Zeman led the way with 13, and Kennedy Smith was close behind with 12. Sarah Barham added 10 with three blocks. Mary Emily Morgan also tallied 10 kills, and she added 17 digs for her second double-double of her career. In addition, the sophomore sent home a career-best three aces to lead the squad.
 
Emily Hodsdon joined Morgan with her own double-double via 20 assists and 12 digs. Hodsdon's double-double is the 19^th of her career and her third on the season. Fellow setter Victoria Hensley led the way with 24 assists.
 
Millie Loehr tallied four blocks for the team lead, edging Barham's three. Kaitlyn Brown scooped the most digs with 21.
 
The first set was tight the majority of the way, but Coastal pulled away late. With the score 18-15 in favor of the Chanticleers, Coastal went on a five-point run to extend its lead to 23-15. Despite a late kill by Sarah Barham, Coastal was able to close out the set and open the match ahead with the 25-17 first set win.
 
Wofford opened the second set by winning the first three points and controlled the whole way. But it was not comfortable, as the Chanticleers were right on the Terriers' heels. Wofford led 22-17 late, but two Coastal points in a row made it a three-point affair. After trading points, Kennedy Smith took matters into her own hands to put away two-straight kills, sealing the set for Wofford, 25-20, to pull the Terriers even.
 
Wofford enjoyed a seven-point run in the early stages of set three, highlighted by three aces from Mary Emily Morgan. Those three aces gave her a new career high. After jumping out to a 12-7 lead, Wofford seemed poised to run away with the set. Coastal had other ideas, as it rattled off a five-point run of its own to tie the affair at 12 all. The set remained close from there, with the Terriers clinging to a 22-21 lead late. Two Chanticleer attack errors provided Wofford with set point, and Emily Hodsdon capitalized on the Coastal mistakes by sending in a service ace to notch the fourth set and give Wofford the lead.
 
Wofford and Coastal played another close set for the majority of the fourth frame, with the Chanticleers holding a small 19-16 lead late. But Coastal would impose a six-point run to stay alive and force the decisive fifth set.
 
With the match on the line, the Terriers stepped up. Wofford won three of the first five points and six of the first 10. A four-point run in the middle goings put the Terriers up 11-6. The sides traded blows, but Bella Zeman put away a kill to precede a Chanticleer error, creating match point. Zeman stepped up again, sending in the match-winning kill to lift Wofford to victory over Coastal Carolina.
 
After opening the tournament on a high note, Wofford concludes its stint in the CofC Classic with a pair of matches tomorrow. After taking on the host Cougars at 12:00 p.m., the Terriers will do battle with Incarnate Word at 4:30 p.m. to round out its third non-conference tournament.