ATLANTA – The Wofford volleyball team put forth a hard fight Friday night inside O'Keefe Gym, but the No. 22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets earned the win in three sets (25-22, 26-24, 25-18). Wofford is 0-1 to begin the campaign after the opener of the Georgia Tech Classic, and the host Yellow Jackets begin their season at 1-0.
 
Wofford held firm against Tech, posting just one less ace with four to their five. The Yellow Jackets held two more blocks, 8-6. They also claimed a lead in kills (43-33), assists (40-31), and digs (60-40).
 
Chloe Smith led the way for the Terriers with 12 kills, and she added eight digs to narrowly miss a double-double. Bri Mahoney posted seven kills, and Bradley Brown followed with six. Brown was errorless on her 15 swings to hit .400 on the night.
 
Taylor Pecht and Maddy Frazier fed the attack with 14 assists each. This is Pecht's 55^th consecutive match with 10-plus helpers. Frazier added an ace as Mahoney put forth three. Annemarie Rakoski led the blocking efforts with three denials as Brown and Smith each posted two. Laney Klika led the defense with 11 digs, her 13^th-straight match in double-digits.
 
Two freshmen Terriers, Charlotte Bell and Ella Coleman, made their collegiate debuts in the contest. Bell recorded her first-career block, a solo swat.
 
The Terriers came out of the gates hot to open the 2025 season, winning the first three points of the match. Bradley Brown's kill was followed by an ace by Maddy Frazier. Tech pulled within one, but a four-point Terrier swing, punctuated by a Bri Mahoney ace, kept Wofford ahead 7-2. The Terriers pulled out to a 10-4 lead shortly thereafter, but Tech began to claw back. A Mahoney kill later kept Wofford ahead 14-12, but with their current momentum the Yellow Jackets rattled off a five-point run to claim their first lead at 17-14. An aced by Mahoney and kill by Chloe Smith brought Wofford within a point twice, and after falling down 19-17 the Terriers hit a stride. Natalie Arnold's kill was followed by a pair from Smith as Wofford took a lead 20-19. After trading blows, a clutch solo block by Annemari Rakoski brought Wofford ahead 22-20. However, a timely Tech timeout proved to be the momentum swinger as the Jackets claimed the following five points for a 25-22 set one win.
 
Just like set one, Wofford claimed the opening three points of set two, highlighted by a Bri Mahoney kill. The second frame was a back-and-forth battle for the first half until the Yellow Jackets found a rhythm midway through. A six-point swing had Tech ahead 18-12, but the Terriers refused to cave. Bradley Brown put home a kill, and a tag-team block from Natalie Arnold and Annemarie Rakoski coupled with a Chloe Smith kill pulled the Terriers within three at 18-15. Another Smith kill later was followed by a Tech error to bring Wofford within one at 21-20. After trading some rallies, the Terriers pulled even at 23 with a Brown kill and one more Yellow Jacket error. Smith followed with a kill to bring the Terriers to set point, but Tech rallied for three-straight points to edge out the set 26-24.
 
Georgia Tech rode its momentum into set three, winning the first five points. The Yellow Jackets raced out to an 18-9 lead before a Natalie Arnold kill brought Wofford to double figures. A dual block by Chloe Smith and Annemarie Rakoski ensued. Tech, however, pulled out to a 21-13 advantage. The Terriers kept fighting, however, as Smith struck for a kill. After a Tech point, she recorded another kill to spark a four-point Wofford run. After trading blows, Tech claimed three points in a row to win the set, 25-18, and the match in three.
 
The Terriers will continue their efforts in the Georgia Tech Classic tomorrow afternoon with a tilt against Arkansas State. First serve is slated for 3:00 p.m.