LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Wofford volleyball team made history Thursday night at Rupp Arena, playing in its first-ever NCAA Tournament match against No. 2 Kentucky. The Wildcats won in three sets (17-25, 15-25, 16-25) but it was not without Wofford giving Kentucky everything it had. The Wildcats improve to 20-7 and advance to round two while Wofford ends its season at 23-8.
 
This was the first NCAA Tournament appearance not just for the volleyball program but for any women's team sport at Wofford.
 
"I think it was a lot of fun," said head coach Lynze Roos of the groundbreaking match. "I have 19 girls in this room right now... This whole experience for them was outstanding. What the NCAA and the University of Kentucky has put together for us here, this experience was outstanding. And it was our goal to come out of here and play our style of volleyball. So, beyond all the things that were special about making this trip, I think we played well. I think that there were some points where people were really impressed with Wofford volleyball. And I think it was our goal going out of the locker room to play our game, to be who we are and who we have been all season and to see us do that throughout the night was outstanding."
 
"It was kind of surreal," added senior Sarah Barham of the tournament appearance. "We knew that we wanted to win our conference tournament, and that was our main goal, but I don't think anybody really broadened their mindset to what comes after it, and this was our reward. We were kind of just here to bask in and play some volleyball and showed everyone exactly what we wanted to. There are no words for it, it was a historic moment for sure."
 
The Wildcats hit .390 in the match as opposed to Wofford's .155 clip. Despite Kentucky claiming an offensive advantage with 49 kills to Wofford's 30, the Terriers held their own elsewhere. Wofford recorded only one less ace, 3-2, and tallied the same number of blocks as each team had four.
 
Wofford was led by Sarah Barham and Sarah MacLean offensively as each tallied eight kills. Natalie Arnold added five. Barham hit .500 in the contest, and MacLean tallied a .375 hitting clip.
 
Emily Hodsdon and Laney Klika each recorded an ace. Hodsdon topped the team with 13 assists, and Taylor Pecht dished 12. Klika led the team with seven digs. Hodsdon and Mary Emily Morgan each added five.
 
Barham held down the net with three blocks to pace the squad. Morgan added a pair, and Millie Loehr recorded one.
 
Kentucky opened the match with a kill, but Sarah Barham responded immediately with one of her own. The teams traded points early with Wofford staying on Kentucky's heels. The Terriers pulled within a point three times with kills from Sarah MacLean, Natalie Arnold and Mary Emily Morgan, but the Wildcats responded each time. Back-to-back kills by Addison Foote and Arnold brought Wofford within a point again, 12-11, in the middle portions. But four-straight points for Kentucky created some breathing room for the Wildcats. Wofford kept fighting, even forcing an attack error late on Kentucky's set point, but the Wildcats would claim the first set 25-17.
 
Sarah Barham wasted no time in the second set, notching a kill immediately. Kentucky won the next two points, but Sarah MacLean tied it back up. After the Wildcats pulled back in front, Addison Foote made it a one-point set with a kill. Natalie Arnold brought Wofford within two, and a few points later Barham did the same. A Laney Klika ace made Wofford's deficit 11-9, but Kentucky would then claim six-straight points. Millie Loehr broke the run with a kill, and Arnold added one two points later, but the Wildcats led 18-11. Undeterred, Loehr and Arnold tag-teamed a block before Barham and Mary Emily Morgan did the same late. A Barham-MacLean block on set point prolonged the set, but Kentucky's ensuing kill ended it with the Wildcats winning 25-15.
 
After Kentucky claimed the first two points of the third set, Millie Loehr put home a kill. Mary Emily Morgan added one shortly thereafter, and Kentucky responded with an error for Wofford to pull within one, 4-3. The Wildcats then went on a five-point run, but Sarah Barham and Mary Emily Morgan broke it with a block. Emily Hodsdon then came through with an ace. Barham's kill shortly thereafter pulled Wofford within 10-6. The Terriers kept pushing, but Kentucky seemingly stayed a step ahead. Back-to-back kills from Barham and Hodsdon pulled the Terriers within 17-12, but Kentucky bounced back with the next three points. Barham added a kill late, and Addison Foote put one home as well to make the score 23-16, but the Wildcats would win the following two points to claim the match in straight sets.
 
Despite the loss, the 2023 season will go down in history as a historic one for Wofford. On top of its NCAA Tournament appearance, the Terriers claimed the 2023 Southern Conference Tournament championship. The 23 wins are the most in the program's Division I era, and the 11-5 SoCon record is the program's best ever.
 
"Even though it was our first conference win and first time playing in the tournament it was a really big step up for this program, and I know for a fact that there is going to be so many more tournament appearances in the future. It is really exciting that it is the first year of it knowing that there are so many more to come," said senior Addison Foote.