The South Carolina volleyball team lost its first SEC match of the 2024 season 3-1 to Mississippi State Friday night at the Carolina Volleyball Center.
The Gamecocks now hold a 9-3 overall record and a 0-1 record in SEC play heading into the second week of conference play.
The first set started out strong for the Gamecocks, as sophomore outside hitter Tireh Smith and junior outside hitter Alayna Johnson both led the team with four kills each. But as the set progressed, South Carolina committed multiple service errors, and the Gamecocks' lack of communication allowed the Bulldogs to come from behind and take the first set.
The second set of the match was much closer than the first, with both teams exchanging the lead multiple times throughout the set. Two of the Gamecocks' veteran players – graduate student middle blocker Ellie Ruprich and graduate student outside hitter Riley Whitesides – came up with crucial plays, ranging from big blocks at the net or kills from the back row.
Head coach Tom Mendoza made substitutions during the set, as he brought on redshirt sophomore middle blocker Anna Wilson for senior middle blocker Oby Anadi and sophomore outside hitter Campbell Paris for Smith, but it was to no avail as the Bulldogs charged ahead to take the second set with a comfortable lead.
South Carolina went into the third set needing a win to stay alive and keep the match going. Before the beginning of the third set, Jordan was substituted for junior setter Kimmie Thompson for the first few points of the match before taking the court again. The Gamecocks regained their confidence during the third set with huge swings from Smith and Whitesides which pushed the Gamecocks to a nail-biting finish to win the third set 25-22 .
The fourth set of the match started out shaky for the Gamecocks as they struggled with in serve-receive play, but the team slowly gained its momentum with more big swings from Whitesides on the outside and huge digs by freshman libero Victoria Harris to keep the ball in play. Anadi also had big contributions in this set at the net with important kills and blocks that rattled the Bulldogs. However, the Gamecocks faltered in their play as the fourth set, which the Bulldogs won 25-16, ended the match.
Jordan’s return
Jordan's presence on the court was felt during this match as she made multiple dump plays and defensive stands. After exiting last week's match against Clemson in the first set with an ankle injury, Jordan bounced back with 30 total assists throughout the match and nine digs on defense.
"We knew that we had to support her with every single ball she couldn't make, we always have her back and are super excited that she's back," Smith said.
Smith comes out swinging
Smith led the Gamecocks' offense with 11 kills and a hit percentage of 0.190 during the match. She also aided the team on defense with two block assists at the net.
She said she didn't perform as well in the practices leading up to Friday's match against the Bulldogs, but she knew she could have a better game than the match against Clemson.
"I just had a different mindset," Smith said. "I'm more of a game time person... I know it's go time."
Communication on the court
A lack of communication was felt during the duration of the match, especially during the first set, when the Gamecocks recorded multiple service errors. Smith said it is one of the major areas of improvement that the team needs to work on heading into its next match.
"We just need to get our groove back," Smith said.
Mendoza also said the team needed to have better communication as the season progresses.
"The style we played was really disappointing," Mendoza said. "We just didn't take care of what we needed to so we have a lot to address by Wednesday."
What’s next?
The Gamecocks (9-3, 0-1 SEC) will enter its second SEC matchup of the season on the road against the two-time defending national champion Texas Longhorns (6-3) on Wednesday, Oct. 2. The match will be streamed on SEC Network+, with first serve scheduled for 7:30 p.m.