LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Wofford volleyball team is set for its first-round NCAA Tournament match-up tomorrow against No. 2 Kentucky. The Terriers and Wildcats will square off at 7:30 p.m. inside Rupp Arena with the match streamed on ESPN+. The contest is Wofford's debut in the NCAA Tournament and the first appearance for any women's team sport at Wofford.
 
Match-Up Information
Opponent: No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats (19-7, 16-1 SEC)
Location: Rupp Arena – Lexington, Kentucky
Date/Time: Thursday, November 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: ESPN+ - https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=985d6eda-0975-4a20-b9c9-008e74d96f1a
Tickets: https://am.ticketmaster.com/uky/2023NCAAVolleyball
Tournament Info: https://ukathletics.com/ncaa-volleyball-tournament-first-and-second-rounds-2/
 
Ticketing
Fans wishing to attend the match can purchase tickets through the link listed above. All-session passes and single-session passes are available.
 
Scouting the Wildcats
Wofford and Kentucky are meeting for the first time ever. This is also Wofford's first-ever match inside the state of Kentucky. At 16-1 in the SEC, the Wildcats won the league's regular season championship (the SEC does not have a conference tournament). Kentucky relies on a strong offense with 14.39 kills per set (sixth in the nation) and a .282 hitting percentage (14^th nationally). Something will have to give as Wofford is stout defensively, particularly at the net. Wofford's 291.5 total blocks are 19^th most in the country, 101 more than Kentucky's total of 190. The Terriers tally 2.60 blocks per set, 27^th nationally. Wofford holds its opponents to a .159 hitting percentage, 15^th best in the country and better than Kentucky's defense of .222, 244^th in the nation. The Wildcats are led by Emma Grome, who paces the country in assists per set at 12.08. Brooklyn DeLeye leads the offense with 3.67 kills per set.
 
A Historic Season
Wofford (23-7, 11-5 SoCon) won the 2023 Southern Conference Tournament, the first SoCon Tournament title in program history and for any women's team sport at Wofford. The win earned the Terriers an automatic bid in to the NCAA Tournament, also a program first and first for a women's team at Wofford. With 23 wins, Wofford has secured its first 20-win campaign since tallying 22 in the 2017 season and its highest win total at the Division I level. At 11-5 in the SoCon, the Terriers have secured a new program record for league wins. The third-place finish in league action and No. 3 seed for the SoCon Tournament are both program bests for Wofford.
 
Block Party
Wofford is stout at the net, tallying 2.60 blocks per set to lead the conference and rank 27th in the nation. With 291.5 total blocks, the Terriers also top the league and sit 19th in the country. Those total blocks are a new single-season program record, topping the previous mark of 261.5 from 2010. Sarah Barham and Millie Loehr have been owning the net, as the duo rank first and second, respectively, in the league in blocks per set. Barham's rate of 1.29 sits atop the conference, and Loehr is behind her with 1.00. They are also tops in the conference in total blocks. Barham owns 143 denials to pace the league, and Loehr touts 106 in third place. Barham and Loehr are the only two players in the SoCon to average more than one block per set and two of only three to total triple-digit rejections. In SoCon play alone, Barham owned 77 total blocks at a rate of 1.33 per set, topping the league in both. Notably, 28 of those blocks were solo. The only other player with more than 20 solo blocks in league play is Loehr, who touts 24.
 
Barham Blocks
Sarah Barham's 143 blocks this season are also a new single-season program record, topping her own old mark of 138 from 2021. Her 467 career blocks are the most among active SoCon players. She has surpassed Cindy Vinyard for second most in a career in Wofford's history and currently trails only Currie Gossett and her 514 swats. She has recorded double-digits blocks three times this season, one of those matches coming on Senior Night against ETSU. Barham added in a career-high 20 kills in the contest for her first-career double-double.
 
The Young Guns
A few freshmen Terriers have made some big waves in their rookie seasons. Setter Taylor Pecht has featured heavily for Wofford in its two-setter system, tallying 519 assists, 29 aces and 193 digs. She also owns seven double-doubles. Bri Mahoney is one of six Terriers with 100 or more kills, owning 112. She also has two double-doubles. Mahoney has recorded five matches with double-digit kills. Laney Klika started at libero for the first time at Furman on October 28, tallying 25 digs. Serving in the role for each match since, she recorded a career-high 33 digs against The Citadel (11/2) before matching that total against Western Carolina in the SoCon Tournament (11/17). She owns 198 digs and 15 aces. Natalie Arnold has only played in 10 matches, but she has been a key player in each of the last eight for Wofford. Arnold has already accumulated 68 kills and 22 digs with 12 blocks while hitting .244.
 
Sisters in the NCAA Tournament
Wofford's Laney Klika is the younger sister of Pittsburgh's Emmy Klika. Both sisters will be playing in the NCAA Tournament in 2023, one of six pairs of siblings appearing in this year's event. Pitt boasts one-half of four of the tandems, as alongside the Klikas the Panthers feature Bre Kelley (sister of Oregon's Becca Kelley), Torey Stafford (sister of Coppin State's TaKenya Stafford) and Julianna Dalton (sister of Kansas' Katie Dalton). Also in Wofford's pod is Baylor's Elise McGhee, whose sister Kara plays for Oregon. The remaining tandem in the tournament is Elise and Brynne McGhie of Minnesota and Pepperdine, respectively.
 
Milestones Achieved
Multiple Terriers have accomplished milestones this season with the countdown on for another. Emily Hodsdon recorded her 100th-career ace against George Washington on September 15. Abbey Richman tallied her 1,000th dig on September 16 at Virginia, becoming Wofford's 18th member of the illustrious club. Head coach Lynze Roos notched her 300th-career win against Virginia. Sarah Barham made history by reaching 400 career blocks against UNCG on October 6 with 11 in that match. She became only the third Terrier to ever reach the marker. Millie Loehr notched her 200th career block against the Citadel on October 7. Aces aren't the only threshold in Hodsdon's crosshairs. With 2,848 assists, she is trying to track down the 3,000 career assists plateau.
 
Homecoming
The match against Kentucky carries a special connection for one Terrier – senior Addison Foote. A native of Prospect, Kentucky, Foote will be playing in her home state. Prospect and Lexington are separated by just under 65 miles.
 
Honors and Awards
The Southern Conference announced its postseason award winners before the SoCon Tournament. Wofford's Sarah Barham was named to the first team, and Millie Loehr was honored on the second team. Upon Wofford's SoCon Tournament victory, Barham was honored as the Most Outstanding Player of the event. Laney Klika and Sarah MacLean joined her on the All-Tournament Team. Mary Emily Morgan was honored with the Pinnacle Award, which is presented to the player on the championship team with the highest GPA. Morgan boasts a 3.90 GPA as a business economics major.
 
The match is set for 7:30 p.m. tomorrow night after the other match in Wofford's pod between No. 7 James Madison and Baylor at 4:30 p.m. Should the Terriers win and advance, their second round tilt would be Friday at 7:00 p.m. against the winner between the Dukes and Bears. That match will also be hosted inside Rupp Arena.