SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford volleyball team put forth a hard fight Saturday night in the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, but it was the Mercer Bears who claimed a four-set win (25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 17-25). Wofford drops to 14-6 (6-2 SoCon) as Mercer improves to 16-4 (6-1 SoCon).
 
Wofford dominated the net in the match with 12 blocks to the eight of Mercer. The Bears posted more kills, 55-38, and assists, 53-33. Mercer posted nine aces to the six of Wofford, and the Bears accrued 74 digs with the Terriers tallying 55.
 
Bri Mahoney and Mary Emily Morgan led the attack for Wofford with eight kills apiece. Annemarie Rakoski was a hair behind with seven, hitting an efficient .515 with just one error in 11 swings to top the squad. Bradley Brown was also efficient at a .313 mark with six kills and just one error in 16 attacks.
 
Maddy Frazier's 15 assists paced the team with Taylor Pecht right behind with 13. Pecht added 10 digs to record her second-straight double-double and her 10^th of the campaign. It's the 17^th of her career. Mahoney's 12 digs led the team, and Laney Klika was just shy of double figures with eight.
 
At the net, Annemarie Rakoski posted six blocks, half of which were solo. Brown amassed five denials with one solo, and Sarah MacLean added four, one of which was solo. Mahoney and Klika tied for the service lead with a pair of aces each. Frazier and Brown both added one.
 
The match was tight the whole way through, beginning with a close first set. After an early 3-1 Mercer edge, the Terriers tallied three-straight points, highlighted by an Annemarie Rakoski block, to pull ahead. The teams traded points from there with Wofford holding a slight advantage along the way, leading 12-8 after a Rakoski kill. Three-straight Bear points pulled Mercer within one, but Wofford immediately responded with five of the next six points. That run was punctuated by a Laney Klika ace for a 17-12 lead. But the Bears fought back, claiming six of the following eight points to pull within one, 19-18. Wofford held firm, though, as Bradley Brown notched a kill. Despite Mercer following with one, the Terriers tallied the next three points. After another Mercer kill, Bri Mahoney and Mary Emily Morgan each struck with one to end the set 25-20 in favor of Wofford.
 
The second set opened with the teams trading the lead back-and-forth. Four-straight Terrier points early made the Wofford lead 9-6 after a Rakoski block. Four more in a row later saw Wofford lead 15-9 after a pair of Rakoski kills and a Mahoney ace. But Mercer remained resilient and began to push back, claiming seven of the next eight points to tie the set at 16-all. Bradley Brown put forth a pair of kills to help Wofford stave off the comeback push, but the Bears hit another groove with six-straight points. Leading 23-19, Mercer looked to close out the set, but Brown and Natalie Arnold teamed for a block. Though an error created set point, another error kept Wofford alive. However, a Bear kill ended the frame 25-20 for Mercer.
 
The Bears carried the momentum over into the third set, winning the first three points. Wofford began to chip away, pulling within one point on several occasions, including 10-9 after a Brown kill. Mercer won three-straight points, but Wofford responded with three in a row with kills from MacLean and Mahoney alongside an ace by Brown, pulling within one once more at 13-12. The Bears remained in front, but the Terriers kept pushing back. A Maddy Frazier ace made the margin 20-17 before two more Mercer points extended it back to 22-17. However, Wofford gave a punch back with four-straight points, highlighted by kills from Morgan and Mahoney. Down only 22-21, the teams traded errors. A Mahoney kill kept Wofford alive at 24-23, but the Bears claimed the following point to take the third set 25-23 and a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
The fourth set was tight early with Wofford fighting to stay alive. A Rakoski block leveled the score at 7-7, and after a Bear point, Arnold posted a kill to tie things up once more. However, Mercer followed with a five-point run to pull ahead 13-8. After back-to-back points for Wofford, punctuated by a Mahoney ace, Mercer claimed three in a row. Wofford won the next three, pulling within 16-13 after a block by Brown. Mercer added another trio of consecutive scores, and the Bears kept pace with Wofford's remaining attempts to come back. Chloe Smith posted a kill to pull within 24-17, but a Bear kill ended the set at 25-17 and the match in four sets.
 
Wofford will begin the back-half of conference play next weekend with a two-match road stint. First, the Terriers travel to take on Chattanooga at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 24. The following night, Wofford battles Samford in Birmingham, Alabama.