Gamecocks Advance in CCSA Postseason Tournament

HUNTSVILLE, ALA. – South Carolina survived a major test in the opening match of the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association’s postseason beach volleyball tournament, defeating Tulane (21-14), 4-1, Friday morning. The fourth-seeded Gamecocks won three of their four matches in three sets over the fifth-seeded Green Wave, moving their season record to 22-7 overall with nine consecutive wins, matching a program record set in 2017 and 2018.
 
It was also a historic win for Katie Smith in the top pairing; her straight-set victory with teammate Skylar Allen was the 96^th overall win of her career. That breaks a tie with Macie Tendrich for the program record. Smith is now also tied with Tendrich for career victories in duals, with 93.
 
Smith and Allen were an early highlight in an otherwise tense start for South Carolina. Tulane won the first set on courts three, four and five, and earned the first point of the dual with a sweep of the fours. Smith and Allen evened the dual score at 1-1 with the 21-16, 21-17 sweep, and the Gamecocks reversed their fortunes on courts three and five with convincing wins in the second sets to push the dual into a dramatic finale.
 
Jordan Smith and Jess Vastine struck first, erasing a loss in the opening set to win 18-21, 21-17, 16-14 on court three. It improved the duo’s season record to 16-1, and both also moved to 25 total wins for the season as individuals. The 25 wins are the third-highest single-season win total in program history and highest by any Gamecock individual since Katie Smith’s 25 wins in 2018.
 
Avery Davis and Madison Brabham clinched the team victory with a win in three sets on court two. Tulane forced a third set in the match after the Gamecocks opened with a 21-14 win in the first set, but Davis and Brabham were able to grind out a tight final set and win it 16-14 to make it 3-1 in the dual.
 
Capping the team scoring for the day was Morgyn Greer and Carly Schnieder on court five. After Tulane won the opening set of their match, 21-18, the two veterans regrouped for an emphatic 21-13, 15-11 rally in the next two sets to get the win. For Schnieder, it was win No. 90 for her career, joining her with Smith and Tendrich as the only Gamecocks to ever reach the milestone. The pair is now 21-4 overall for the year, only eight other pairs in program history have a higher single-season win total.
 
RESULTS
No. 17 South Carolina 4, Tulane 1
1. Skylar Allen/Katie Smith (SC) def. E. Toruella/Peters (Tulane) 21-16, 21-17
2. Avery Davis/Madison Brabham (SC) def. Hermstad/Mehlman (Tulane) 21-14, 19-21, 17-15
3. Jordan Smith/Jess Vastine (SC) def. Arellano/Mergener (Tulane) 18-21, 21-17, 16-14
4. L. Toruella/Mares (Tulane) def. Hannah Mackenhausen/Alyssa Keller (SC) 21-11, 23-21
5. Morgyn Greer/Carly Schnieder (SC) def. Olsonski/Speicher (Tulane) 18-21, 21-13, 15-11
Order of finish: 4,1,3,2*,5
*-Deciding Point