Oct. 21, 2007
AUBURN, Ala. – South Carolina sophomore outside hitter Ivana Kujundzic continued her outstanding play against Southeastern Conference foes, recording her eighth double-double against the league in a 3-0 sweep over Auburn, 30-27, 30-28, 30-26. The Gamecocks move to 3-9 in the SEC and 10-11 overall, while the Tigers fall to 10-13 overall and 2-10 in conference action.
Kujundzic led all players with 17 kills while also adding 10 digs. Middle blockers Belita Salters and Megan Laughlin also had 10 kills, while libero Dinelia Concepcion led the Gamecocks with 12 digs. Salters also added nine blocks in the contest.
Jessica Glover and Whitney Jacob led the Tigers with 12 kills each. Glover also had a double-double, making 11 digs. Rachel Shanks contributed 11 kills in the loss. Jelena Sekulic nearly had a double-double, getting nine kills along with her match-leading 16 digs.
South Carolina took an early 7-4 lead after a five-point run that included a block from the freshman Laughlin and sophomore Meredith Moorhead, an Kujundzic back-row kill and a Hannah Lawing spike on an overpass. Auburn answered with a five-point run of its own to take a 12-9 advantage, getting three kills from Glover in the skein. The Gamecocks then took four consecutive points, three coming on the Tigers’ errors, to take a 13-12 lead. Later, Carolina ran off five points in a row and seven of eight to take a 21-16 edge. Laughlin had kills to bookend that particular run. Auburn tied it up at 22-22 by taking six of the next seven points.
From there, each team got two points in a row and traded side outs until the Garnet and Black got three points in a row to get the advantage they needed. Kujundzic had a kill, while Laughlin and junior Petra Lorenzi had a block to go with an Auburn attack error. The teams swapped side outs to end the game, as Kujundzic made the last of her five kills in the game to wrap up the win, 30-27. Carolina had six blocks to go with 11 Tiger errors to capture the win.
The Gamecocks took an early 6-3 lead in the second game behind three kills from junior Belita Salters. That lead was stretched to 14-9 after a Sarah Cline ace. Auburn stormed back to take a 17-16 lead with eight of the next 10 points. Jacob had three kills during the stretch, while Sekulic had two to start the run. Carolina answered with a three-point run that included kills from Laughln and Kujundzic to put the visitors up, 19-17. The advantage grew to 22-19 after a Kujundzic back-row kill. The Tigers tied it up at 22 again after a block error and an attack error. USC went back up by two after a big solo block by Salters. The teams traded side outs until Auburn looked to have control after three straight points to take a 27-26 lead. Glover had a kill and an ace there to put the Tigers up by one. The teams swapped side outs again before Carolina took over. Kujundzic and Lawing had kills to push the Gamecocks to game point. Auburn’s next set went into the referee’s stand, forcing an attack error to end the frame with a 30-28 USC win. The Gamecocks had a .341 hitting percentage in game two.
The Garnet and Black pushed out to a 12-6 lead, helped by two Laughlin aces and two Auburn attack errors. After the Tigers got to within three at 13-10, the Gamecocks pushed the lead to six on kills from Salters and Kujundzic and a block from the duo. Auburn tied it up at 18 after the second ace from Glover in the five-point swing. Carolina went back up, 21-18, after a Laughlin smash on an over ball and consecutive aces from Kujundzic. Auburn tied it up again after two Garnet attack errors. However, Salters put the Gamecocks up, 27-22, with a pair of kills, a solo block and a block assist with Lawing. After the teams traded points twice to put USC at match point, 29-24, a pair of Garnet errors gave the Tigers new life. But after the Gamecock timeout, Laughin would end the match with her 11th kill, this one a spike right in the middle of the Tigers’ side of the court.
The Gamecocks out-hit the Tigers, .263. Carolina also held a commanding 12-3 advantage in blocks and smaller edges in digs and kills.
South Carolina returns home to start a four-match homestand against Mississippi on Friday night at 7 p.m. in the Volleyball Competition Facility.
