CHARLESTON, S.C. -- They say it's not how you start but how you finish. And the Towson University women's volleyball team finished very well.

Down 2-0 in the first two sets, Towson hit a reverse sweep, taking sets three, four and dominated the fifth set to pick up a crucial 3-2 win on the road at College of Charleston's TD Arena.

Towson (17-2, 5-2 CAA) picked up the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) win thanks to a double-double from Emily Jarome, who landed 17 kills with 14 digs to lead the Tigers. Overcoming a slow start at the net, Towson finished with 16 total blocks, including eight from the hands of Nikiya Mitchell. Kristin Spengler put up 28 assists in the match as well.

Charleston (10-8, 3-4 CAA) was led by 15 kills from Lexi Wierzbicki while Gabi Bailey and Anna Smith notched 11 kills apiece. Jasmin Goei added 36 assists for Charleston while Bailey finished with a team-best 15 digs.

How it Happened

• After a subpar first two sets, Towson began its run back to a win late in the third set. Breaking a 19-19 deadlock on a Charleston error, Towson did not relinquish the lead the rest of the way. The Tigers built to 24-20 before Charleston strung together three straight points to pull back within one at 24-23 Towson.
• Jarome secured the first set win for the Tigers and began the long road back to victory.
• Set four was all Towson early as the Tigers took a commanding 11-5 lead in the first 16 serves, bolstered by a 5-0 run capped by a Jarome service ace. Charleston challenged and made it a three-point set at 12-9 Towson and later another three-point difference at 15-12. But then the Tigers ripped off an 8-0 run to grab a 23-12 advantage before landing a 25-14 set win to push a five set thriller into being. Again Jarome had the set point, this time with a kill.
• Riding the emotion of reaching set five, Towson continued its strong play with an 8-0 run to lead off the race to 15. The Tigers capped the full-length comeback with a 3-0 flourish with two kills from Fay Bakodimou for the win.

Behind the Numbers

• Towson dominated the net with 16 total blocks, led by a career-high best tying eight from Mitchell. Wiers added another seven to her season total while Sara Wasiakowska joined six blocks on the day.
• Jarome landed the 11th double-double of her career with 17 kills with a team-best 14 digs. Bakodimou notched 13 kills with Wiers in with five. Jarome led the Tigers with a .341 hitting percentage.
• Towson managed to cool a red hot start from Charleston, which hit for a massive .542 in the first set. Set two was the Cougars' second-best hitting percentage at just .081. The homeside was held to a -0.053 in the fourth and a .000 in the deciding set.
• The Tigers managed a reverse sweep on the road for the first time since Oct. 19, 2018, topping Hofstra University in five on Long Island. It was Towson's first overall reverse sweep since storming past James Madison on Nov. 7, 2018 at SECU Arena.

Up Next for Towson

• The Tigers remain in Charleston, South Carolina for a second match against the Cougars.
• First serve is set for noon at TD Arena.
• Sunday's finale will be carried on FloVolleyball.