CHARLESTON, S.C. – In a dramatic five set match, the Citadel volleyball team won its first Southern Conference match since 2011 and its first match over Furman in program history Sunday at McAlister Field House.

"Tonight is a great night for our team," said head coach Craig Mosqueda. "I am very proud of the response we've had from the girls and we look forward to more wins in the conference."

The Bulldogs (8-15, 1-6 SoCon) earned the victory 25-21, 20-25, 24-26, 25-23 and 15-13.

In 35 previous contests against Furman, the Bulldogs had taken the Paladins to five sets just once back in 2005 and were 0-33 against Furman in SoCon play before Sunday's match.

"Beating Furman is huge as I see them as one of the top teams in the conference with an incredible coach," said Mosqueda. "Tonight, we were able to reduce our errors, play consistently and we fought the entire match."

With their backs against the wall late and down 2-1 in the match, the Bulldogs won the final two sets by just two points each.

Outside hitter Moriah Smith paved the way for the Bulldogs with 21 kills and 19 digs, just one dig short of her third 20-20 match of the season. Libero Samantha Espy had her second highest total of the season with 28 digs, while defensive specialist Gracie Barnes finished with a career high 20 digs.

Despite falling behind 10-5 in the first set, the Bulldogs rallied to tie it 18-18. Later with the set tied at 20, the Bulldogs grabbed four of the final five points to win the set 25-21. Smith led the way with seven kills in the first set, followed by Megan Sowell with six. In a match dominated by defense, the Bulldogs hit a match-high .261 in the set.

In the second and third sets, Furman held the Bulldogs to .122 and .057 hitting to claim each. The Bulldogs had a chance to win the third set, with the score tied 24-24, but the Paladins took a 2-1 lead after two Bulldog errors.

The Bulldogs and Paladins again squared off in a tight set in the fourth, with three points marking the largest lead for either team. Late in the set, the Bulldogs jumped ahead 24-20, looking poised to force a fifth set. The Paladins answered with three points to cut the lead to one, but the Bulldogs grabbed the final point on a Sowell kill to take the set 25-23.

In the fifth and final set, the Bulldogs never trailed, moving ahead 6-2 and then 8-4 as the teams switched sides. Furman cut The Citadel's lead down to one, 11-10, after four straight points, forcing a Bulldogs' timeout. With a 14-11 lead and match point for the Bulldogs, Furman grabbed the next two points to cut the lead to one. With the match on the line, Furman was called for a ball handling error, giving the Bulldogs their first SoCon victory in nearly five years.

Both teams recorded over 100 digs in the match, with Furman holding a 111-105 advantage. Each team also finished with double-digit blocks, with the Bulldogs recording 11. Middle hitter Sarah Dobrich finished with nine block assists, while Smith added five. Priscilla Irizarry led the team with 28 assists, followed by Logan Smith with 21.

The Bulldogs will look to continue the momentum on a three-match road trip, starting with Mercer on Tuesday at 6 p.m. They will then visit Chattanooga on Friday at 6 p.m. and ETSU on Saturday at 2 p.m.

For more information on The Citadel volleyball follow @CitadelVB or visit CitadelSports.com.