Spartanburg, S.C (Nov. 11, 2023) – The ETSU volleyball team faced Wofford in its regular season finale, playing a competitive match that went to five sets. Despite a strong start in the first set, ETSU couldn’t maintain the momentum, ultimately losing to Wofford with a score of (19-25,25-16,25-20,23-25,15-7). 

ETSU came out swinging in the opening stanza. The Buccaneer offense attacked at a match-high .433 with 15 kills. Sophomore Brianna Cantrell (Appleton, Wis.) had seven of those kills by herself and did not commit an attack error. With ETSU’s offense clicking so well, it took the opening frame, 25-19.

Photo of Brianna Cantrell communicating with Jasmal Cruz during volleyball game against Wofford. (Emma Kate Montag/East Tennessean)

The momentum swung back to the Terries in the second. Wofford totaled 17 kills (.293 hitting percentage) and tallied five blocks. Thanks in part to the five blocks, the Terrier defense held ETSU to a .062 hitting percentage in the second. With that disparity in the offensive production, Wofford took the second frame, 25-16. 

 Sophomore Brianna Cantrell (Appleton, Wis.) had a standout performance with 19 kills and a .349 hitting percentage. Małgorzata Andersohn (Bydgoszcz, Poland) also had an outstanding double-double with 29 assists and 19 digs. Additionally, Jasmal Cruz (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico) also made a notable contribution with a season-high 24 digs for the Buccaneer defense.

Photo of Jasmal Cruz during volleyball game against Wofford. (Emma Kate Montag/East Tennessean)

The match saw shifts in momentum, with ETSU dominating the first set but facing tough competition from Wofford in the following sets. The fourth set was particularly intense, featuring lead changes and ending with kills from Jenna Forster (Maryville, Tenn.) and sophomore Isabelle Iosua (Honolulu, Hawaii.), forcing the match into a fifth set.  

In the decisive fifth set, the score was initially tied at 7-7, but Wofford secured a convincing 15-7 win with an 8-0 run, sealing the victory. 

ETSU, with a 5-22 overall record and a 5-11 record in SoCon play, is gearing up for the SoCon tournament. As the No. 8 seed, they will face the No. 9 seed UNC Greensboro in the first round, scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Brooks Gym. The winner of this match will advance to play top-seeded The Citadel on Friday at 2 p.m. Come out and support your Lady Bucs!

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