BIRMINGHAM, ALA. – The Wofford volleyball team (7-7, 3-0) took down the Samford Bulldogs (5-9, 0-3) in four sets (25-18, 25-16, 15-25, 25-20) on Friday evening at the Pete Hanna Center. Wofford was led by 18 kills from Chloe Smith along with 28 digs from Laney Klika.
 
Serves were the story of the night, as Wofford totaled five aces compared to three from Samford. Errors on the set piece were what separated the two squads, however, with Samford committing 14 errors while Wofford finished the night with three. The Bulldogs took the edge in the attacking department, recording 57 kills to Wofford's 52. The Terriers hit .268 from the net while Samford closed the night with a .279 hitting percentage.
 
The duo of Chloe Smith and Bradley Brown led the offensive efforts for the Terriers. Smith notched a match-high 18 kills with an astounding .341 hitting percentage. Brown tallied 11 kills as well. The setting duo of Maddy Frazier and Taylor Pecht laid the foundation for the two pins as both Frazier and Pecht notched over 20 assists each – the first time the pair has done so this season. Frazier led the group with 22 assists while Pecht found 21 helpers herself.
 
On the defensive end, it was Laney Klika pacing the team with 28 digs. It was a block party at the net for the Terriers as the team totaled eight blocks to just four by the Bulldogs. Annemarie Rakoski led the way with five block assists while Natalie Arnold trailed right behind with four. Bradley Brown and Emily Normand joined in on the fun, with Brown tallying three block assists and Normand two.
 
Chloe Smith had a team-high two service aces along with Bradley Brown, Laney Klika, and Maddy Frazier all recording one as well.
 
Samford scored the first point to start the match, but the Terriers would gain control shortly after as the team took a 6-2 lead. A pair of attack errors from Samford gave Wofford it's much needed boost. Chloe Smith tallied one of her nine kills in the first set to stretch out the Terrier lead to six points. Wofford never looked back in the first set, cruising to an easy 25-18 win to gain the early advantage.
 
Set two was not much different for the Terriers, as Wofford jumped out to an early 5-2 lead by way of a Maddy Frazier ace. Samford kept things close, though, with the Bulldogs bringing the set within one point just a few rallies later. A pair of kills from Annemarie Rakoski along with another from Chloe Smith allowed for some breathing room, giving the team a 10-6 lead. Kills from both Natalie Arnold and Emily Normand helped push out the Terrier lead to seven points. The team would take set two 25-16.
 
Samford came out rejuvenated for set three, taking a quick 5-1 lead over Wofford. The Terriers responded, however, rattling off four-straight points to tie set three at five-all. The teams traded blows from there, but a four-point swing in favor of Samford turned the momentum towards the Bulldogs. Leading the Terriers 19-14, Samford would only allow Wofford to get one more point before taking set three 25-15.
 
The Terriers jumped out ahead 2-0 in the fourth set, but it did not last long as the teams would trade points in what was a back-and-forth affair. Emily Normand found a kill in the middle of the set, allowing the team to take an 18-16 lead. Samford refused to quit, tying the set once again at 20-all. A Samford service error allowed Wofford to take a 21-20 lead and then it was Annemarie Rakoski sending two Bulldog attacks back to give the team a 23-20 lead. An attack error by Samford was followed by the match-winning point – an Annemarie Rakoski kill, giving Wofford a 25-20 win in set four and ultimately a 3-1 victory over Samford.
 
The Terriers will stay on the road as the team will travel to Tennessee to take on Chattanooga on Saturday, October 4, at 6:00 PM. The match can be streamed live on ESPN +.