Wofford Invitational
September 2, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. ET/4:00 p.m.
USC Upstate (1-2; 0-0 Big South) vs. Appalachian State (1-2; 0-0 Sun Belt)
USC Upstate (1-2; 0-0 Big South) vs. Eastern Kentucky (2-1; 0-0 ASUN)
September 3, 2022 | 2:00 p.m.
USC Upstate (1-2; 0-0 Big South) vs. Wofford (1-2; 0-0 SoCon)
Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
TV: ESPN+ (all matches) | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
 
Series History
vs. Appalachian State: Upstate and Appalachian State's match-up in the opening match of the Wofford Invitational marks the second all-time meeting between the two teams. The two programs previously met on Sep. 4, 2010, at the Appalachian Invitational with the Mountaineers taking the match in straight sets.
vs. Eastern Kentucky: Much like the Spartans' series with Appalachian State, Upstate and Eastern Kentucky have met just once prior, doing so on the same day, Sep. 4, 2010, at the Appalachian Invitational. Upstate took the lone meeting in the series with a 3-1 victory over the Colonels.
vs. Wofford: Turning from a pair of one-game series, Upstate and Wofford have a long history with one another, meeting 41 total times on the court, dating back to both programs' times in the NAIA. Overall, the Spartans hold a 30-11 advantage on the Terriers and have won three of the last five meetings with Wofford. Saturday's meeting also marks the first between the two programs since Sep. 1, 2017.
 
Last Time Out
August 26, 2022: USC Upstate 3; Alcorn State 0
August 27, 2022: Stetson 3; USC Upstate 0
August 27, 2022: Georgia Southern 3; USC Upstate 0
 
Players to Watch
Upstate: After going a perfect 4-for-4 on swings in a single set in her collegiate debut against Alcorn State, freshman middle blocker MJ Klaumann put together a phenomenal debut weekend for the Spartans. Following the Bash in the Boro, she ranks third in the NCAA in hitting percentage, posting a .571 hitting efficiency with 13 kills and one error on 21 total attempts. Of her 13 kills, eight came against Stetson, a total that ties for the most kills by an individual Spartan in a match this season.
Appalachian State: Another freshman middle with a strong debut weekend, Maya Winterhoff enters the weekend after leading the Mountaineers with 17 total blocks at the VolleyBucs Volleypalooza last weekend. She also collected 32 kills with a .441 hitting percentage in three matches as her kill total ranks second among Appalachian State attackers this season.
Eastern Kentucky: Leading a balanced attack for the Colonels, junior outside hitter Sarah Mitchell tallied a team-high 22 kills at the Colonel Classic. She was one of three Eastern Kentucky attackers to post 20 or more kills, but she also made her presence felt on the defensive end, scooping up 33 balls, ranking second on the team in digs entering the weekend.
Wofford: Another middle with a standout weekend, junior Sarah Barham paced Wofford on both the offensive and defensive ends, leading the team in kills and total blocks at the Charlotte Invitational. Hitting .383, she posted 39 terminations while averaging 3.25 per set through three matches as she also collected 14 total blocks to spur the defensive effort for the Terriers.
 
Quotable (Senior Right-Side Hitter Briana Strobert)
On starting the season at the Bash in the Boro and competing against outside competition…
"It felt great to finally be able to compete against other people. We've competed against each other in our gym but to have other people on the other side of the net felt great. Last weekend allowed us to learn a lot about each other and how we play with each other. It also allowed us to view our strengths and see what we need to work on in the practice gym to be prepared for next weekend."
 
On her All-Tournament Team honors at the Bash in the Boro…
"It means a lot to me. I can't do it without my teammates, so I'd like to thank my team for that as well. I'm just ready for next weekend and the future of our season.
 
UP Next for the Spartans
Facing another pre-Big South Conference season tournament, the Spartans remain on the road, heading to the ETSU Invite on Sep. 9 and 10. The Spartans face Clemson, Georgia State, and ETSU in the two-day event, the final non-conference tournament for Upstate this season.
 
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