The South Carolina volleyball team picked up a rivalry win against Clemson Friday night, as it swept the Tigers in three straight sets on the road.
The Gamecocks now hold a season record of 9-2 before heading into SEC play next week.
A graphic of the final score between South Carolina and Clemson reads, "South Carolina Gamecocks, 3," and "Clemson Tigers, 0".
The first set was a back-and-forth affair between the Gamecocks and the Tigers, one that required one of the teams to score more than 25 points to clinch the set. The Gamecocks came out strong as graduate outside hitter Riley Whitesides, who scored the first point of the match, led the charge.
The team continued to dominate the first set until junior setter Sarah Jordan, one of the team's starters at the position, had to leave the match early due to an ankle injury, which forced sophomore setter Sydney Floyd to sub on for the rest of the match in Jordan's absence.
But that didn’t stop the Gamecocks' momentum, as the team continued to hold the lead with notable kills from junior outside hitter Alayna Johnson and good defensive plays by freshman libero Victoria Harris.
South Carolina would eventually claim the set by a 34-32 score.
The team had to think quickly when Jordan became injured, head coach Tom Mendoza said. But the team was able to work out a solution that worked out for them in the end, he said.
The second set was much closer in the beginning, with both teams exchanging who had the lead throughout the set. Junior setter Kimmie Thompson stepped in for Floyd during this set and got into a groove with her hitters.
The Gamecocks were eventually able to pull away with a comfortable lead, hitting .429 as a team, utilizing graduate student middle blocker Ellie Ruprich and sophomore outside hitter Campbell Paris. The Gamecocks won the second set 25-16.
The third set mirrored the first, as the lead was exchanged back and forth between the Gamecocks and the Tigers. But multiple kills from Whitesides and a late block by Ruprich helped South Carolina sweep Clemson in a three-set win.
Whitesides’ offensive dominance
Coming off a strong performance in the Gamecocks' match against East Carolina on Tuesday, Whitesides continued to display offensive skills on the court. She led the team with 18 kills, out of the team's 47 total kills, and had a hitting percentage of .341.
Whitesides also scored the first point of the match for the Gamecocks, which set the tone of the match for her fellow teammates.
Harris excels on defense
Mendoza said Harris is a special and coachable player following her performance in Friday's game.
Harris stepped up for the Gamecocks on defense, serving as a vocal leader on the team's back line. She recorded 18 of the team's 59 total digs in the contest, in addition to four assists.
Harris also helped South Carolina's defense hold firm, especially during the lengthy first set and while both teams engaged in long, intense rallies during the third set.
Making the proper adjustments
When Jordan exited the match early due to a lower body injury, the Gamecocks had to make the necessary adjustments in order to fill the void she left behind on the court. Both setters who came in to replace her, Floyd and Thompson, stepped up and made important plays to help South Carolina come out on top.
Mendoza said there were a fair amount of service errors on both sides of the court, but he expressed confidence in his team's service game, as the Gamecocks' players knew there was plenty of time to correct minor mistakes made during the match.
Mendoza added that he doesn't think Jordan's injury will be long term.
What’s next?
The Gamecocks (9-2) will enter the team's first SEC matchup playing host to the Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-3) on Sept. 27. The match will be streamed on SEC Network+, with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m.