Elon Women’s Voleyball Holds Off Wofford for 3-2 Win

ELON, N.C. – Cali Estes recorded her second straight triple-double and her third of the season as the Elon volleyball team held off Wofford for a 3-2 (25-18, 25-18, 29-31, 23-25, 15-12) win in Alumni Gym tonight, Oct. 26. Elon has now won three matches in a row and its last 11 against the Terriers. The Phoenix, winning its sixth straight five-set match, is now 15-11 on the season and 6-4 in the Southern Conference, while the Terriers fall to 9-15 (4-6 SoCon).

“I am very proud of the players for how well they fought tonight,” said Elon head coach Mary Tendler. “We didn’t have a whole lot of positive things happening on our side of the court midway through the match, but somehow they found a way to get the win. We have played very well and been very confident in fifth sets. I like our chances when we go five.”

Estes finished with 13 kills, 22 assists and 12 digs, while sophomore Megan Gravley led the team with 14 kills. Freshman Ally Karle tallied 12 kills and freshman Kayla Agae recorded 10. On defense, Elon out blocked Wofford, 9-8, with both Estes and Karle contributing four blocks.

With the first set tied at 13-all, Elon scored the next four points with the help of two kills by Gravley and one by Estes to take a 17-13 lead. The Phoenix would make it a seven-point advantage, 24-17, before a kill by Estes, her fifth of the set, gave the maroon and gold a 25-18 win.

Off the serve of Catherine Head, the Phoenix used two aces and a block by Karle and Agae to take a 13-8 edge over the Terriers in the second set. Wofford closed the gap to four, 21-17, before kills by Head, Estes and Karle moved Elon to another 25-18 victory and a 2-0 lead.

In the third set, the Terriers lead by two, 12-10, before kills by Head and Gravley and an ace by Maggie Reichard helped the maroon and gold to a 6-0 run to take a 16-12 advantage. Wofford managed to tie the set at 20-all and then claim set point first 24-21. Elon battled back off Terrier errors and a block by Estes and Karle to even the score at 24-all. Wofford would eventually claim the set, 31-29, to move the match into a fourth set.

The Terriers took that momentum from the prevopis set and grabbed a quick 5-0 lead. Still trailing by five, 14-9, the maroon and gold scored four of the next five points off two kills by Estes and one by each Agae and Head to close the gap to two, 15-13, and force a Wofford timeout. Elon would tie the set 19-all and take its first lead 20-19. Both teams would trade points back and forth before Wofford earned set point and won the set, 25-23, to send the match to a fifth and final set.

With the last set tied at three-all, errors by the Terriers, a kill by Gravley and an ace by Estes put the Phoenix ahead by four, 7-3. Wofford would pull within two, 12-10, but Elon scored three of the final five points off two kills by Gravley and one by Estes to win the set, 15-12, and the match.

The Phoenix will remain at home for the next two matches, beginning with one on Friday, Nov. 1, against Appalachian State at 7 p.m. in Alumni Gym.