The South Carolina women’s volleyball team came into the 2024-25 season projected as the 12th best team among the 15 teams in the SEC by the media. The team is coming off its third consecutive losing season and a 5-13 conference last season.
Despite low expectations, the Gamecocks brought back an experienced roster that included seven veterans who played at least 20 matches last season under head coach Tom Mendoza.
Some notable returners for the season were senior middle blocker Oby Anadi, graduate middle blocker Ellie Ruprich and graduate outside hitter Riley Whitesides. Whitesides said she looked forward to her final season and was hopeful that the team would find success.
“I want the team to have a good year and that means I had a good year,” Whitesides said. “ I want to lead the team, be successful as a group and really enjoy my last season as a Gamecock.”
Whitesides helped lead the team to a 16-12 record, the team’s first season over .500 since 2020, and had her best season yet.
By the end of the season, she was responsible for over 34% of the team’s total kills for the entire season (second highest in program’s stat-keeping era), ranked fifth all-time in kills and fourth in points scored since 2001 and averaged 4.47 kills per set which was the second-highest in the program’s history only behind Shanda Cole’s average of 5.95 in 2006. This historic season earned her an appearance on the 2024 First Team All-SEC and 2024 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Southeast Region Team.
South Carolina also gained two transfers in junior outside hitter Jollie Crawford and junior setter Sarah Jordan; and two freshmen players, libero Victoria Harris and outside hitter Maggie Elliot to complete the roster.
The season started with a 0-3 loss against then ranked No. 13 Kansas where the Gamecocks struggled to score in the second and third sets.
Following the loss, the Gamecocks turned things around and won eight out of its 10 non-conference games to finish 9-2, before heading into SEC play. During this portion of the season, the Gamecocks won seven straight games and ended non-conference play with a clean sweep over in-state rival Clemson.
Harris, a Columbia native, talked about her first experience against Clemson growing up in the Palmetto State.
"It was probably my favorite game that I've ever played in," Harris said. "It was so competitive, the atmosphere, the music was bumping too so that really helped."
Not only did the Gamecocks defeat their rival, Whitesides’ 18 kills helped her surpass Mikayla Robinson to rank seventh in kills in Gamecock history. Whitesides finished the season fifth all-time in kills.
Senior middle blocker Oby Anadi said she thought the season started out well in non-conference play and hoped that it could continue into conference play.
“I felt I was able to reach a little more starting this year with the new group,” Anadi said. “I had a different mindset coming into this year but I think so far, it’s been pretty good."
The Gamecocks struggled as they started conference play, losing their first three games to Mississippi State, then-ranked No. 7 Texas and Georgia to fall to 9-5 overall.
South Carolina traveled to play its third ranked opponent of the season, the No. 19 Florida Gators at Gainesville, Florida. Heading into the matchup, the Gamecocks were 0-2 against ranked opponents and 2-32 in Gainesville since the all-time series started in 1986.
Head coach Tom Mendoza said the team came in with respect for Florida but still believed his team could compete despite the all-time record.
“Florida is a good team but every team has strengths and weaknesses and I thought our team did a great job of just putting a ton of pressure in.”
The Gamecocks defeated the Gators 3-0 to pull off the historic win. It marked South Carolina’s first true road match win since 2003 and first ranked SEC opponent on-the-road win since 1991. Head coach Tom Mendoza became the fourth South Carolina volleyball coach to reach 100 wins.
The Gators were held to two aces despite being the top-serving team in the SEC with 2.13 aces per set. Whitesides, Anadi and sophomore outside hitter Tireh Smith combined for 30 kills to lead the Gamecocks to a win.
Mendoza also praised Whitesides for being part of a culture change at South Carolina. The graduate outside hitter led the teams in kills with 18 for the win.
“For a while, there was a mentality that you had to leave South Carolina to play good volleyball and Riley has been a huge part of us trying to change that narrative,” Mendoza said. “She’s done so much to grow what it means to play at University of South Carolina volleyball more than probably anyone from the state.
After the away game at Florida, South Carolina found themselves at home for the next five games. During these games, the team went 3-2 including a 3-1 win on Senior Night against Auburn and new SEC opponent Oklahoma.
South Carolina wrapped up the rest of the last month of the regular season with a 3-4 record but finished with an overall record of 16-11.
During the final stretch, the Gamecocks traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to face off against the LSU Tigers. Anadi is originally from Louisiana and talked about how this game is special with her family in attendance.
“When we play LSU, that’s when my entire family comes because that’s close to home,” Anadi said. “My mom will make her sign which she keeps in front of her bed as she sleeps with me staring at her with my little volleyball pose.”
The SEC postseason tournament will return for the 2025-26 season so the Gamecocks needed to be selected for an at-large bid to make the national tournament. Since there was no conference tournament for the Gamecocks, making the national tournament was a goal that the experienced team shared.
On Dec. 1, the South Carolina volleyball team earned an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament. The Gamecocks faced off against then No. 5 ranked Dayton. South Carolina lost 1-3 against the Flyers to end the season. Whitesides ended her time as a Gamecock with a record 22 kills.
Whitesides, Anadi, and Ruprich graduate this year but the team has eight starters returning and recently announced the addition of five freshman and two transfer athletes this spring. South Carolina will look to improve again next season and continue to improve from the previous season.