SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After dropping set one to Western Carolina Friday night, the Wofford volleyball team erupted to win the following three frames to defeat the Catamounts in four sets inside the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Wofford improves to 19-6 (11-2 SoCon) with the win as Western Carolina falls to 7-18 (1-11 SoCon).
 
The victory is Wofford's 11^th in SoCon play, matching last season's program-record total. The Terriers are now one triumph away from back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time at the Division I level.
 
Errors played a major role in the match, as Wofford played cleaner with a .233 hitting clip and 21 errors compared the 25 miscues and .087 hitting mark of WCU. Wofford tallied more kills (59-38) and assists (55-32) while doubling up the Catamounts in aces, 4-2. Wofford held a slight blocking advantage, 13-11, and the defense really shined on the back line as the Terriers tallied 82 digs to outpace the 70 of WCU.
 
Bri Mahoney led the charge with a career night, posting her sixth double-double of the season and eighth in her career. She tied for the team lead in kills with 14, matching Mary Emily Morgan to tie her career high. Mahoney posted 19 digs, a career best. Morgan also recorded a double-double, the eighth of her season and the 16^th of her career, with 10 digs alongside her 14 kills. Sarah MacLean posted 11 kills to also reach double figures while hitting .391, guilty of only two errors in 23 swings.
 
"I'm just having fun, trusting my teammates," said Mahoney of her double-double performance. "The numbers don't really matter to me. We're all in this together, and we all came out tonight and went for everything, played our best, and that showed with our win."
 
Taylor Pecht and Maddy Frazier fed the attack with 24 and 22 assists, respectively. Frazier added three kills. At the service line, Mahoney posted a pair of aces to record half of Wofford's tally. Laney Klika and Bradley Brown posted one each.
 
Klika anchored the defense with 29 digs. Mahoney and Morgan marked a trio in double-digits. Annemarie Rakoski was a force at the net with nine blocks, a new career high. Rakoski's nine denials are the most by a Terrier since former teammate Sarah Barham notched 11 in the SoCon Championship last season. Four of Rakoski's swats were solo.
 
"I think it's a lot about communication," said Rakoski of her career night at the net. "We're watching where the ball is, and we're talking in-out, just kind of constantly talking about the block."
 
Set one was a see-saw battle early. Down by a point, Wofford won back-to-back points thanks to a Catamount error and Annemarie Rakoski kill, pulling ahead marginally at 10-9. But WCU fought back by winning four in a row to lead 13-10. A Wofford four-point run shortly thereafter flipped the script again as Sarah MacLean posted a pair of kills before Rakoski struck for a kill and solo block. Wofford led 16-14. Soon after, Mary Emily Morgan struck for a kill, and a WCU error marked an 18-17 edge for the Terriers. However, the Catamounts got a kill to tie the set, and it sparked an eight-point run that ended the frame 25-18 for WCU.
 
Early in set two, Wofford used a five-point run to claim a lead thanks to MacLean, Bradley Brown and Maddy Frazier each posting kills for an 8-3 advantage. The Catamounts chipped away to remain close, but MacLean put home a kill to kick start a five-point swing for some distance. Morgan was a force in the run as she teamed with Rakoski for a block and then added back-to-back kills for a 17-10 Wofford lead. Firmly in control, the Terriers outpaced the Catamounts from there. Mahoney struck with a kill, and Rakoski notched a block for set point. Rakoski then posted a kill to claim the set 25-17 and even the match.
 
WCU look an early lead 8-4 in set three, but Wofford pushed back with three-straight points as Natlie Arnold's kill pull Wofford within a point. A couple rallies later, Wofford tied the set up with a Mahoney-Rakoski duo block. Thus began a back-and-forth joust for control of the set as the squads traded the lead. Down 14-13, MacLean notched a kill with Arnold and Morgan following for a 16-14 Terrier edge. The Catamounts responded and pulled ahead 20-18, but Mahoney and MacLean struck to tie the set once more, and Mahoney posted another kill for the lead, 21-20. A Catamount kill tied the set again, but MacLean pushed Wofford back in front for good, as her kill sparked a four-point run to seal the set 25-21. The third set saw 10 total ties and three lead changes.
 
A four-point run early in the fourth set, powered by a Brown ace and Arnold kill, had Wofford ahead 5-1 for a lead the Terriers never relinquished. Setting a tone of control for Wofford, the Terriers added another four-point run with Mahoney posting a kill and ace alongside a Rakoski rejection and Morgan kill for a 10-4 lead. Another four-point swing was fueled by MacLean, Arnold and Mahoney with a Brown block, as Wofford led 16-7. Arnold and Mahoney later went back-to-back on kills for a 22-10 Terrier advantage, but the Catamounts found life for their only true run in the set, a five-point swing to pull within 22-15. However, a service error helped Wofford sideout, and Mad Wilson put home a kill for match point, setting up Mahoney to call game with an ace. The 25-15 set four triumph claimed the match in four for Wofford.
 
The Terriers conclude the homestand with their final regular season home match tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. against ETSU. The contest serves as senior night for the Terriers, with the trio of Sarah MacLean, Mary Emily Morgan and Mad Wilson being honored pre-match for their decorated careers at Wofford.