COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Wofford offense played with intensity Monday night at the Carolina Volleyball Center, but it was not quite enough as South Carolina took a four-set win (23-25, 21-25, 25-23, 16-25). Wofford moves to 2-6 as South Carolina improves to 5-4.
 
Both teams played at a high level with many statistical categories close in the match. Wofford hit .223 with 19 errors as South Carolina put forth a .317 clip on 16 errors. The Gamecocks won the service line, 5-2, but the Terriers put forth more blocks, 6-5.
 
Chloe Smith recorded a career night with 24 kills, hitting .317 with five errors on 60 attacks. She added 10 digs for her third double-double of the season (fourth career). Smith notched a career high with her kill total as she became the first Terrier with 20-plus kills since Sarah Barham's 20 against ETSU on November 11, 2023. Annemarie Rakoski and Natalie Arnold joined Smith in double figures with 10 kills apiece, and Bradley Brown added eight behind them.
 
Taylor Pecht and Maddy Frazier paced the offense with 21 assists each. Laney Klika held down the back line with 18 digs as she added six assists and an ace. Pecht notched nine digs as Caroline Przystup posted eight with Frazier at seven. Przystup joined Klika as the lone Terriers with an ace. At the net, Rakoski picked up where she left off as back-to-back SoCon Defensive Player of the Week, leading the way with four denials.
 
The first set was a tight battle until the very end, but it started with Wofford hot out of the gates. Natalie Arnold and Chloe Smith opened the contest with back-to-back kills. After a South Carolina error, Smith struck again for a quick 4-0 lead. The Gamecocks would fight back to tie things up at 8-all, but Smith's kill broke the deadlock. After the Gamecocks took a 13-11 lead, Arnold's kill led to a pair of South Carolina error for another Terrier edge, 14-13. After trading some blows, a kill by Annemarie Rakoski pulled Wofford within 20-19. However, South Carolina held firm for a 23-20 lead before an error and Bradley Brown block had Wofford right back within a point at 23-22. A Gamecock kill was followed by one from Emily Normand, but one more for South Carolina clinched the set at 25-23.
 
Arnold continued her hot hand with the opening kill of the second stanza, which again opened as a back-and-forth affair. A kill by Annemarie Rakoski pushed the Terriers in front 8-7, but South Carolina responded with a three-point run for a 10-8 lead. Arnold struck again shortly thereafter, and Laney Klika added an ace with a Gamecock error for a 12-12 tie. However, South Carolina went on a 5-1 run for a 17-13 lead. Bradley Brown added a pair of kills with one from Chloe Smith as a three-point Terrier run pulled Wofford within 17-16. The teams remained neck-and-neck with a Smith kill again pulling Wofford within one at 20-19. A 4-1 Gamecock run created set point, and South Carolina held on late despite Wofford's best efforts to claim the set 25-21.
 
Needing a response, the Terriers opened set three with their foot on the gas pedal. Chloe Smith opened the scoring, and Annemarie Rakoski and Natalie Arnold followed with a block. Arnold and Smith added kills before another Rakoski denial. Wofford would open with a 10-2 lead. A Caroline Przystup ace later made the advantage 13-4 for the Terriers. However, the Gamecocks began to chip away, eventually pulling within 20-17. However, Smith put home a kill before adding two blocks with Rakoski. She then put forth another kill for set point. Relentless, the Gamecocks fought back with six-straight points to pull within 24-23, but Smith held strong and notched the clinching kill as Wofford stayed alive with the 25-23 set three triumph.
 
Looking to put the match away, South Carolina opened set four with an 8-2 run. Wofford began to push back with a Chloe Smith kill, which was followed by a pair from Annemarie Rakoski. Wofford trailed 10-7 and pulled within 14-10 later on another Rakoski putaway. However, the Gamecocks scored the following six points for a 20-10 advantage. The Terriers did their best to chip away from there, but the hole proved too deep as South Carolina won the set, 25-16, and the match in four.
 
Wofford returns to action this weekend by hosting the Wofford Invitational. The first match of the tournament is Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. against Gardner-Webb inside the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.