Nov. 2, 2007
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| Final Stats |
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Behind a career night for Belita Salters and a record-setting performance from Sarah Cline, South Carolina captured a five-game win over Arkansas, 30-27, 27-30, 35-37, 30-27, 15-13, on Friday night at the Volleyball Competition Facility. The Gamecocks moved to 12-13, 10-15 in Southeastern Conference play, while the Lady Razorbacks fall to 10-15, 4-11 in league action.
Salters compiled a career-best 20 kills and a season-high 10 blocks for the Gamecocks. The sophomore libero Cline tied the program record with 36 digs in the contest. Junior setter Petra Lorenzi and freshman outside hitter Hannah Lawing also tallied double-doubles. Lorenzi had 11 digs and 29 assists, while Lawing had a career-best 14 kills and 23 digs, just two off the high she set last weekend against LSU. Lawing also matched career-best marks with three assists and two aces. Sophomore outside hitter Ivana Kujundzic just missed a double-double, making 17 kills while getting nine digs. Freshman middle blocker Megan Laughlin added 15 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Meredith Moorhead had 11. Freshman setter Jordan Bradosky also narrowly missed a double-double, making a match-best 39 assists and nine digs.
Arkansas was led by Jessica Dorrell, who had a match-high 27 kills and 18 digs. Heather Royal also collected a double-double with 17 kills and 15 digs. Libero Ashley Miller had 28 digs in the contest. Catherine Fowler added 10 blocks for the Lady’Backs.
South Carolina got control of game one after consecutive kills from Salters gave the Gamecocks a 11-9 lead. That grew to 14-9 after an Arkansas ball handling error, another spike from Salters and an ace from Lawing. The lead expanded to 18-11 after kills by Kujundzic and freshman Dani Bedore. The Lady Razorbacks cut the lead to 21-18 after blocks from Fowler and Kristin Seaton. After the teams traded points, Arkansas made the Carolina lead just two after kills from Dorrell and Lindsay Scanlan and a USC attack error. However, the Gamecocks would come back to put the game away, first getting a Kujundzic kill followed by a Lady’Back attack error before closing out the match on kills from Kujundzic and Laughlin and a Kujundzic ace. Salters had seven of the Gamecocks’ 20 kills in the frame, while four aces also helped the Carolina cause.
Carolina ran out to a 6-2 advantage behind a Lorenzi ace and back-to-back kills from Kujundzic. Arkansas cut the lead to one at 11-10 after two blocks around a Dorrell kill. The Lady’Backs would tie the Gamecocks but not overtake them until a four-point run put them up, 23-21. An ace from Hilary McCormick capped the streak. Carolina would tie it back up at 23-23 after a Lawing ace. But the Hogs would get the lead on a three-point skein that saw Dorrell get a kill and an ace. The Garnet and Black got within one after a Kujundzic kill and a Laughlin block, but Arkansas would close out the game taking three of the final four points, ending it with its fifth block of the frame. The Hogs hit .316 in the frame.
Once again, the Gamecocks started a game hot, taking a 7-2 lead thanks to two kills from Laughlin. Arkansas would charge back to take a 13-10 advantage on a six-point streak that had two kills from Dorrell. Carolina tied it back up at 22-22 after a block from Salters and Lawing and an Arkansas attack error. Both squads had advantages later, including the Lady’Backs having a game-point opportunity after a Christina Lawrence kill. But Salters kept the game going with one of her five kills in the frame. The Gamecocks kept fighting, but they could not get the advantage. Eventually, the Lady’Backs got a kill from McCormick and a block from McCormick and Sarah Freudenrich to take the 37-35 win. Dorrell had 13 kills alone in game three, half of Arkansas’ output. Carolina made 38 digs in the frame.
Continuing their quick starts, the Gamecocks got a 7-3 lead after a Salters and Lawing block and a block error by the Hogs. Arkansas took a 12-10 lead on a five-point run that McCormick ended with a kill. That lead grew to 18-12, after the Lady’Backs got two three-point skeins around an attack error. South Carolina tied it up at 19-19 after a Moorhead kill and a block from Moorhead and Salters sparked a four-point swing. Arkansas had a chance, going ahead 26-24 after a Dorrell kill and a block from Dorrell and Freudenrich. But Carolina tied it up again after a Dinelia Concepcion ace. Dorrell put Arkansas back up one, but the Gamecocks responded with four consecutive points to wrap up the game. Salters had the kill to put USC up by one before she ended it with a solo block to send the match into game five. Salters had five blocks in game four, while Lawing led the squad with four kills. Arkansas tallied 13 attack errors in the game,
South Carolina had a 6-4 lead in the deciding game before things seemed to fall apart. Fowler had a kill before a set fell to the floor while the entire Gamecock side watched to knot up the match at 6-6. Arkansas continued the run with a block by Fowler and Dorrell and a kill by Dorrell. Kujundzic and Laughlin stopped the bleeding for a moment with a block, but Dorrell swung again to put the Lady’Backs up by three. The Gamecocks closed to within one after a Lawing kill and a block by Salters and Moorhead. But Arkansas would put together two points of its own, getting another Dorrell kill followed by a Carolina attack error. Lawing ended the run with a smash, while Salters and Bedore brought the Garnet to within one with a block. The Lady Razorbacks called timeout to stop the momentum shift, but it was too late. After the break, Dorrell had an attack error before Bradosky put an ace in front of a Lady’Back defensive specialist. Kujundzic put the Gamecocks on the brink of victory, but Bradosky added some suspense, putting her serve in the net. But she redeemed herself shortly after, setting Bedore for the match-clinching kill. Salters had three kills and two blocks in the deciding game.
The squad’s performances landed on many top-five lists for a single match. The Gamecocks’ 80 assists stand second on the five-game match list, just ahead of the pace in a five-game loss to Northern Illinois in 2000. The 234 attacks and 108 digs both stand third on the all-time lists for five-game contests, while the 85 kills matches the output in a five-game affair for third in the annals, tying with three matches from 1999 and 2000. South Carolina had an advantage in all of these categories, hitting percentage and aces, while the Lady’Backs only held a lead in blocks.
Next up for Carolina is the final road trip of the year, which starts next Friday night at Kentucky. Match time is set for 7 p.m. EST.
