SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Citadel volleyball team fell in three sets to the No. 1 seed Mercer Bears in the semifinals of the 2024 Southern Conference Championships on Saturday afternoon.
 
Score: #1 Mercer 3, #5 The Citadel 0
Records: The Citadel (15-14, 8-8), Mercer (26-5, 14-2)
Location: Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium (Spartanburg, South Carolina)
 
Key Plays & Stats

• The Citadel narrowed Mercer's lead to just two with a 3-0 scoring run with a service ace and a kill from Ali Ruffin.
• Sophie Childs pulled the Bulldogs within two with back-to-back kills at 21-20, but Mercer scored four in a row to take the first set at 25-20.
• The Citadel managed to narrow Mercer's lead to four with kills from Ruffin and Childs at 18-14.
• The rest of the second set favored Mercer as they would go up 2-0 in the match at 25-16.
• The Bulldogs jumped to a four-point lead early in the third set at 8-4 with kills from Sadie Gomez, Mackenzie Martin, and Childs.
• Mercer regained the lead over the Bulldogs, but Martin recorded a kill to pull the Bulldogs within two at 15-13.
• Mercer took the match and the set at 25-18.
• Ali Ruffin led the Bulldogs with nine kills and 18 digs, finishing her career as a Bulldog with 1,599 kills and 1,531 digs.
• Ruffin ranks second all-time in kills and third with digs.
• Mackenzie Martin recorded her 1000th career kill and finished her career with 1,318 digs.
• Jaelynn Elgert finished her career with 1,554 digs, just two shy of breaking the record of 1,556.
• Belle Hogan recorded a team-high 22 assists, finishing her career with 4,120 assists as a Bulldog.