Behind a loud Benjamin Johnson Arena crowd of 559, the Wofford volleyball team rallied to knock off visiting Furman Wednesday evening, 3-1, in Spartanburg, S.C. The Terriers fell in the first game before mounting the comeback and claiming the victory by scores of 26-30, 30-27, 32-30 and 30-18.
The crowd was aided by a special dinner meal served by Wofford's dining services in the area which attracted many students to the event.
The triumph was also the first victory by the Terriers over Furman since a 3-2 decision in Spartanburg Sept. 25, 2001. It marked head coach Corey Helle's first win against the Lady Paladins as Wofford's mentor.
In the contest, both teams traded several points in all four games. The Terriers edged ahead 26-22 in game one before the Lady Paladins scored the final eight points to take the early lead.
In game two, both teams again would not let the other increase its lead beyond three. Wofford (7-5, 2-2 SoCon) used a balanced offensive and defensive attack to hold off Furman to tie the match heading into the 10-minute intermission.
After the break, the Terriers and Lady Paladins again fiercely competed for the opportunity to go up by a game. Furman mounted a late surge to force the extra points but could not prevail as Wofford scored the deciding point on an attack error by a Lady Paladin.
The Terriers pulled away early in game four and never looked back. A late run by Furman closed the margin from 15 (26-11) to 11 (28-17) before junior Christal Carey recorded the final kill for the victory.
Freshman Brittany Thompson led all players with 20 kills, 58 total attacks and 22.0 points. Carey was one of three other Wofford players to collect double-digit kills with her total of 13 on 42 total attacks. She registered a double-double with a match-high 17 digs.
Also reaching the double-digit kill plateau was freshman Liz Sheets (12) and senior Katie Sobczyk (10). Senior Angela Berry led the Terriers with a .353 hitting percentage on eight kills and 17 total attacks.
Defensively, junior Shana Glenn notched 16 digs. Senior Rhea DeJesus' 56 assists ties her own mark for fourth most in a four-game match since Wofford moved to the Division I era in 1995. DeJesus also led all players with three service aces.
Leading the Furman (5-8, 1-2 SoCon) attack was Celestee Wilson with 16 kills and a match-high .467 hitting percentage. She was joined by teammate Whitney Purser (12) in double-figure kills.
Courtney Stewardson added 45 assists, while Kim Tonkin posted a team-high 15 digs.
The Terriers will return to action at 2 p.m. Sunday at Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga. The Lady Paladins next play also against the Eagles this weekend but at 2 p.m. Saturday in Hanner Fieldhouse.
Wofford 3, Furman 1
26-30, 30-27, 32-30, 30-18
Team Comparison:
Kills -- Wofford 67, Furman 55
Total Attacks -- Wofford 179, Furman 160
Hitting Percentage -- Wofford .207, Furman .156
Assists -- Wofford 59, Furman 50
Service Aces -- Wofford 7, Furman 2
Digs -- Furman 70, Wofford 69
Total Blocks -- Furman 10.0, Wofford 7.0
Points -- Wofford 81.0, Furman 67.0