South Carolina volleyball won its SEC conference match against the Auburn Tigers Sunday afternoon at the Carolina Volleyball Center three sets to one.
The Gamecocks started off strong in the first set by setting the pace with service aces from junior outside hitter Alayna Johnson and sophomore defensive specialist Elizabeth McElveen, as well as blocks from senior middle blocker Oby Anadi.
Freshman libero Victoria Harris also played a big role in the set having three out-of-service assists to keep the ball alive during the set. The Tigers attempted a comeback in the middle of the set, but the Gamecocks were able to edge ahead and take the set 25-19.
The Tigers took an early lead in the second set, forcing the Gamecocks to fight to regain it. The Gamecocks kept up the aggression on offense and continued taking big swings to maintain its lead.
Starting junior setter Sarah Jordan, who had 44 assists in the match, was subbed out for junior setter Kimmie Thompson. Nearing the end of the set, sophomore right side hitter Tireh Smith delivered a kill which had seemingly ended the set. However, a challenge by Auburn kept the team in the set as the kill was in fact a touch by the Gamecocks, allowing the Tigers to take the set into a deuce. The Tigers couldn't stop the kill by graduate student outside hitter Riley Whitesides to end the second set 26-24 and have the Gamecocks take a 2-0 set lead.
The third set was another close one from the first serve. The Gamecocks and Tigers exchanged the lead back and forth with multiple challenges made by both teams. The Gamecocks initially gained a lead, but defensive errors allowed for the Tigers to gain a comfortable lead to keep the team in the match. The Tigers would go to win the set 25-16.
The fourth set saw the Gamecocks being more aggressive in its overall gameplay to correct errors made in the previous sets on its side of the court, but the Tigers were also seeking to make a comeback in the match with a 4-point lead on the Gamecocks in the opening rallies.
The Gamecocks regained its lead near the end of the set with huge kills from Smith, Whitesides and sixth-year middle blocker Ellie Ruprich. The set proceeded to be a back and forth battle all the way to the end, where Auburn committed an error at the net and the Gamecocks took the set 25-20, winning the match 3-1.
Aggressive in serving
The Gamecocks had a total of seven aces by Johnson, McElveen, Harris and Thompson, all targeting different zones while maintaining a flat and fast-paced serve to give them an edge.
This aggressiveness in serving and adjusting the offense for more kill opportunities had been a key focus in practices leading up to the match, giving the Gamecocks an edge against the Tigers.
“No one likes to miss a serve," Head coach Tom Mendoza said. "But we needed to serve aggressively.”
Offensive adjustments
There was a lot of versatility on offense which gave Jordan plenty of options to set up for a kill.
However, during the third set when the Gamecocks started to scramble as the Tigers targeted Jordan to take the first ball, Harris was at the ready to take the second ball. Harris had a total of six assists in the match and her communication played a big role in maintaining its composure on offense.
“I feel like when the people around us have confidence in us, it allows us to just go tee off and get swings,” Whitesides said.
Forcing the errors
The first set had multiple errors made by the Tigers, many of which the Gamecocks' defense forced the team to commit. What should have been a triple block on Whitesides by the Tigers ended up being a trick roll shot to the wide open center of the court.
"That's something that we really focus on is executing on our part and letting the other team make mistakes," Anadi said.
Whitesides also commented on this play and said that her ability to play beach volleyball gives her more court awareness and more shots that can be used in game situations.
What’s next?
The Gamecocks (12-6, 3-4 SEC) will face the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats (12-7, 6-2 SEC) on Friday Nov. 1. The match will be streamed on SEC Network+ with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m.