Bulldogs Win in Four Sets Over Wofford

Final	1	2	3	4	5	T
Wofford (13-17, 2-11)	17	17	25	20		1
Citadel (8-20, 1-13)	25	25	11	25		3

Wofford	Citadel
K: Amanda Liguori - 18 B: Arden Anderson - 5 D: Reagan Styles - 20 SA: Reagan Styles - 2	K: Amanda Rudnik - 9 B: Lauren Hurt - 5 D: Rachael Farrell - 19 SA: 3 Players (#12, #15, #7 - 2)

TEAM STATISTICS	Wofford	Citadel
Hitting %	.213	.162
Blocks	10.0	7.0
Digs	59	65
Aces	2	7

full stats

Charleston, S.C. – The combination of freshmen Amanda Rudnik, Ise d'Angelo and Lauren Hurt, who combined for 24 kills, proved to be the difference for The Citadel in their 25-17, 25-17, 11-25, 25-20 victory over Wofford on Saturday afternoon at McAlister Field House.

Rudnik paced the Bulldogs with nine kills, while d'Angelo and Hurt finished with eight and seven, respectively. However, it was the Bulldogs defense that proved most valuable, as four players notched double-digit dig performances, led by Rachael Farrell's 19. Joining Farrell were Alexa Dahlstrom (12 digs), d'Angelo (11 digs) and Emily Dalton (11 digs), as The Citadel finished with a decisive 65-59 edge in digs. Dahlstrom also dished out 29 assists, as the Dogs improved to 8-20 overall and 1-13 in Southern Conference play.

Wofford (13-17, 2-11) was paced by the performances of Amanda Liguori (18 kills) and Taylor Baird (12 kills). Both players topped the .300 attack percentage mark, led by Baird who finished with a .346 attack percentage (12 kills, 26 total attacks). Meanwhile, Liguori finished with a .308 attack percentage (18 kills, 39 total attacks). Teammate Regan Styles led the Terriers defensively with 20 digs, while setter Bekah Dorsey handed out a match-high 41 assists.

Behind five Liguori kills, Wofford took an early 7-3 lead on the Dogs in the first set. The Citadel retaliated behind a pair of kills by d'Angelo to draw even at 10-10, forcing a series of ties. With the set deadlocked at 15-15 and Dalton in serve, kills by Rudnik and Hurt jumpstarted The Citadel offense, as they assumed an 18-15 advantage. After a kill by Wendy Burnett pulled Wofford within two, Farrell responded with a pair of kills to stretch the lead to 20-16 in The Citadel's favor. Two kills down the stretch by Hurt secured the 25-17 win.

Senior Kathryn Johnston, recognized earlier in the day for her contributions to the program, used her service game to provide the Cadets an early 4-0 lead in game two. However, Wofford bounced back behind two kills from Liguori and knotted the game at 6-6. With the score tied 10-10, Wofford committed a critical attack error that opened the door for four straight Bulldog points and a 15-10 advantage. The lead blossomed to 22-14 with a Dalton service ace as The Citadel took a 2-0 lead in the match following the 25-17 victory.

A rejuvenated Wofford squad came out strong following the intermission, jumping out to an early 7-2 lead behind four unforced errors. After a Citadel timeout to regroup, The Bulldogs found their offensive rhythm and pulled within six strikes of the lead, 12-6. Nine kills from six different players, including two each from Liguori, Burnett and Arden Anderson proved to be the difference in the 25-11 Terrier win.

The Citadel rebounded from the setback in the third set behind a pair of kills by Jessica Maxwell to make for a 10-10 tie in the fourth game. A back-and-forth battled ensued before a Maxwell kill gave the Cadets a slim 15-14 lead. The Bulldogs scored eight of the next 12 points to stretch their lead to 23-18, before kills by d'Angelo and Rudnik made for the decisive 25-18 match victory.

The Bulldogs will host their final home game of the 2011 slate on Tuesday night when intracity rival College of Charleston visits McAlister Field House at 6 p.m.

For more information on Bulldog Volleyball, go to the official website of The Citadel Athletics, www.CitadelSports.com.