SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The No. 2 Wofford volleyball team was a force at the net with 14 blocks Saturday night to defeat No. 3 ETSU in four sets (25-21, 25-22, 19-25, 25-18) in the Southern Conference Tournament hosted by the Terriers inside the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Wofford improves to 22-8 with the championship berth as ETSU's season comes to a close at 19-11.
 
Wofford has earned its fourth-ever trip to the title match and second in a row. Last season Wofford won the championship, the program's first, also on its home floor. This victory marked the first for the Terriers over ETSU in the SoCon Tournament.
 
"It feels amazing to be a part of a program that's just so on the ups, and we have such a high expectation for this program now, and I just love how we have this culture," said libero Laney Klika of returning to the title match. "It feels great to go back."
 
The Terriers posed a severe threat at the net tonight with 14 blocks, over doubling the six amassed by ETSU. Wofford was also stout offensively, hitting .220 as opposed to the .147 clip of the Buccaneers, adding a 55-47 kills advantage. The Terriers tallied 10 more assists, 53-43, and one more dig, 70-69. The only statistical edge for the Bucs was in aces, a slight 8-7 lead.
 
Bri Mahoney led the charge with a career-high 17 kills on a .304 hitting clip with only three errors in 46 attacks. She recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 13 digs, which is the 11^th double-double of her career. Sarah MacLean added 14 kills, also hitting over .300 at .379 with three miscues in 29 swings. Mary Emily Morgan posted 13 kills to mark a trio in double figures. Her 12 digs posed the 10^th double-double of her season and the 18^th in her career.
 
"Our setters were putting up great balls," said Mahoney of the offense tonight. "Overall, everybody had a great offensive night, and we all went for it. We just came out tonight like, 'Our season's not going to end tonight; we're going to get to tomorrow.' Just having that mindset in every set we were given, we wanted to put the ball down."
 
Laney Klika recorded 28 digs to lead the defensive efforts as one of three in double-digits alongside Mahoney and Morgan. At the net, Annemarie Rakoski was on fire with seven total denials, five of which were solo. Mahoney added five herself, four solo. Morgan posted two solo swats, and Bradley Brown added one.
 
Taylor Pecht dished 30 helpers to pace the offense, and Maddy Frazier added 16. Klika sent home three aces, tying her career best. Frazier and Mahoney each added a pair.
 
Wofford claimed an early lead in set one, claiming four-straight points with kills by Mary Emily Morgan and Sarah MacLean alongside a Laney Klika ace for a quick 5-2 edge. ETSU fought back to pull in front 8-7, and from there the teams began to trade blows. MacLean's kill tied the set at 12-all, and Morgan put forth one of her for the lead. A Klika ace then made the lead 14-12. ETSU pulled level once more, but Morgan struck again followed by a Maddy Frazier ace. After an ETSU point, Natalie Arnold delivered before a Buc error marked an 18-15 edge. From there, ETSU tried to chip away, but the Terriers held the Bucs at arm's length. Bri Mahoney took charge with a kill and ace for a 23-18 lead, and the Bucs notched a kill before committing an error. Though ETSU claimed back-to-back points, Morgan put home the clincher at 25-21.
 
ETUS bounced back to open set two up 5-2, but Wofford pushed back level with three-straight points, punctuated by a Frazier ace. The Bucs pulled back ahead at 10-7, but a block by Annemarie Rakoski sparked a four-point Terrier run that saw Rakoski total two blocks and a kill for an 11-10 edge. The middle goings of the set saw a see-saw battle with an Arnold kill eventually pushing Wofford up 19-17. ETSU began to chip away and pulled level 21-21, but Morgan and Brown delivered back-to-back strikes. Though ETSU notched a kill, Morgan tallied a block, and the Terriers won the set 25-22 with a Buc error.
 
With their season on the line, the Bucs gave their comeback push in set three with a 12-10 lead after the early portion. MacLean tallied a kill to bring Wofford within one, but the Bucs responded in kind. A three-point run later had ETSU ahead 20-14, and though Wofford tried to push back, the Bucs stayed a step ahead. An ETSU service error would lead to a Klika ace, and Morgan put forth a kill to bring Wofford within 23-19, but two-straight Buc points in response claimed the set 25-19 and forced a fourth frame.
 
Riding the momentum from set three, ETSU got out to an early 4-3 edge in set four. However, Mahoney erupted with three-straight kills, kick-starting what became an eight-point Terrier run. Alongside Mahoney's kills, it featured two blocks by Rakoski, a kill by MacLean and a Mahoney block. When the dust settled, Wofford led 11-4. ETSU had a respond, though, rattling off five points in a row to pull back within two points. The middle goings were tight with Wofford keeping ETSU at bay, and once again Mahoney struck to spark a run, this time four points. Rakoski punctuated it with a block at 20-13. Mahoney and MacLean would shortly thereafter go back-to-back for a 22-14 advantage. After a Buc point, Mahoney again sent home a kill, and an ETSU error provided match point. A last-ditch effort saw three-straight points for the Bucs, but Morgan then ended the comeback push with a kill at 25-18 to clinch a berth in the SoCon Championship.
 
The Terriers will look to defend their title against No. 1 Mercer tomorrow evening at 4:00 p.m. The championship title will be streamed on ESPN+ and held inside the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.