BOONE, N.C. – The Wofford volleyball team pushed the Clemson Tigers to the limit Friday afternoon at Holmes Convocation Center, playing strong throughout but ultimately dropping a five-set match (25-23, 18-25, 25-22, 16-25, 8-15) in the Black and Gold Invitational. The Terriers fall to 5-3 with the result as the Tigers improve to 5-2.
 
Wofford held firm at the net with 12 blocks, matching the team's season best set just yesterday, and the mark led the match with the Tigers at nine. Clemson recorded just six more kills, 59-53, and held a 56-43 assist advantage. The Terriers were within seven digs, 94-87, but the Tigers held an 11-5 ace advantage.
 
Bri Mahoney led the way for Wofford offensively as one of three Terriers with double-digit kills. The sophomore tied her career high with 14 as Sarah MacLean and Bradley Brown added 12 and 10 kills, respectively, behind her. Brown posted a .381 hitting clip with just two errors on 21 swings.
 
Taylor Pecht and Maddy Frazier orchestrated the offensive attack with 24 and 16 assists, respectively. Pecht picked up her fourth double-double of the season with 21 digs. It is the 11^th of her career. Frazier posted nine digs to fall just short of her first double-double. Mahoney added 14 digs to notch her third-career double-double and first of the campaign. Laney Klika added 21 digs with Mary Emily Morgan posting 14 as four Terriers reached double figures. With nine kills, Morgan was just one short of also owning a double-double.
 
Pacing the way at the net was Annemarie Rakoski with her career-best eight blocks. Natalie Arnold added four of her own with Mahoney posting three. Wofford's five aces were dispersed evenly with Arnold, Frazier, Pecht, Brown and Klika all sending home one.
 
Wofford claimed the first two points of the match with a Sarah MacLean kill and Taylor Pecht ace. The Terriers controlled the first set early with a Bri Mahoney kill making the Wofford lead 11-7 in the middle goings. But Clemson began to chip away and ultimately pulled ahead 19-18 with a four-point run later in the frame. Mahoney struck again, however, tying the match. Annemarie Rakoski and Natalie Arnold teamed up for a block, and Mahoney posted another kill to cap a three-point run to reclaim the lead for the Terriers. The teams traded points from there with Mary Emily Morgan creating set point with her kill, but the Tigers responded with the next point to make the margin 24-23. But Bradley Brown and Sarah MacLean worked together to end the set, notching a block for the 25-23 set one win.
 
Clemson opened set two with the first three points. Wofford began to chip away and then used a three-point swing to take a lead. MacLean's kill was followed by a tag-team block from Rakoski and Morgan, tying the set. An attack error by the Tigers gave Wofford a 12-11 advantage. The teams continued to jostle for control with a Brown kill tying the set at 17-all. But the Tigers found a rhythm, ensuing on a six-point run for a 23-17 lead. The margin was too much for Wofford to come back from, and the Tigers leveled the match with a 25-18 set two win.
 
The third set was also back-and-forth early. Wofford held leads in the middle portions with a Laney Klika ace making the margin 13-10 before the Tigers pushed back. However, Brown and Mahoney put home kills for a 16-12 advantage. A four-point Tiger run would tie the set at 16-16, but Wofford responded with a five-point swing of its own. An error helped Wofford sideout, and Caroline Przystup subbed in to serve. She then orchestrated the run that saw Arnold and Rakoski team up for two blocks with Rakoski also adding a kill, making the Terrier lead 21-16. Clemson would give its last-ditch efforts to come back, but Morgan's kill brought up set point, and despite a three-point Tiger run a service error iced the set 25-22 for the Terriers.
 
Needing to respond, Clemson opened set four with an 11-4 lead. The Terriers began to chip away, pushing back with back-to-back kills from MacLean and Brown. After three Tiger points, Brown posted another kill to spark three-straight Wofford points to make the deficit 16-11. Later in the set, Mahoney and Rakoski teamed for a block to pull Wofford within 22-15, and despite set point Mahoney posted a kill. However, the Tigers won set four 25-16 to force the winner-take-all fifth frame.
 
Clemson carried its momentum into the fifth set, opening with a 7-1 lead. Mahoney's kill broke the Tiger run, but Clemson remained in its rhythm to pull away to a 13-3 advantage. Wofford refused to quit, embarking on a four-point run highlighted by two kills from Brown and a tag-team block by Brown and Arnold. Wofford cut the score to 13-7, but a Clemson kill created match point. The Terriers again fought with Brown adding another kill, but the Tigers followed with their own kill to conclude the set 15-8 and claim the win.
 
The Terriers will be back in action tomorrow afternoon to wrap up play in the Black and Gold Invitational by facing off against the host App State. First serve against the Mountaineers is set for 4:00 p.m. with the match streaming on ESPN+.