George Washington University
2-8,0-0Atlantic 10
Wofford
8-2,0-0SoCon
Volleyball Drops Five Set Match vs. Wofford on Friday
9/15/2023 9:09:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Playing in the first game of the Jefferson Cup Invitational, GW volleyball went the distance with Wofford on Friday, dropping the five-set decision with set scores of 18-25, 25-18, 25-22, 28-30, 11-15.
BY THE NUMBERS
Liv Womble led the GW attack with a season-high 15 kills. Brittany Myers added 13 with a .324 hitting percentage on 34 attempts. Grace Wiczek added 10 kills, contributing to a GW offense that put down 51 kills on the day with a .226 hitting efficiency. Loukia Papadakos entered the match for the first time in her GW career, recording one kill on her lone attempt. Maeve Loughran set a new career-high with 27 assists and Dilara Elmacioglu tallied 19. Loughran also matched her career-best with 15 digs, with Amina Robinson leading GW defensively with 16 digs.
At the net, Womble and Kelsey Watkins came up with three blocks apiece.
HOW IT HAPPENED
An early six-point scoring run helped the Terriers to a quick 13-4 edge. Wofford stretched its lead to 19-9, and the 10-point differential was too much for GW to overcome, with Wofford taking the opening set behind 14 set one kills.
GW put down 11 kills to Wofford's six in set two, and two early ties came in the second frame before a five-point scoring run helped GW take control of the set at 16-9. The Buff & Blue quieted any attempt at a Terrier comeback, burying three kills and an ace to even the match at one set apiece.
Seven ties and five lead changes came in set three, with the turning point coming at the end of the set, with GW going on a four-point scoring run backed by three kills and a Wofford error to close out the third set. Eight of the Buff & Blue's 15 kills in the third frame came after the 14th point of the set, and GW narrowly out-hit the Terriers by four kills to go up 2-1 in the match.
Back-and-forth trends continued in the fourth set, which saw a game-high ten ties, a pair of lead changes and seven set points before Wofford closed the set, 30-28. Wofford pushed out to a 10-4 lead, forcing a GW timeout, which led to a 9-3 scoring run for the Buff & Blue to tie the set at 13. At 21-17, GW had a chance to close the match, but the Terriers bounced back to force a fifth set.
Searching for the chance to play in the winner's match on Saturday, GW and Wofford continued to go point-for-point with four ties and two lead changes. Wofford's 11 kills to GW's six were the difference in the deciding set.
GW will play Norfolk State on Saturday in Charlottesville at noon.
