Aggies Snap Gamecock Win Streak

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina volleyball had its five-game win streak snapped Wednesday night in a 3-1 decision to Texas A&M (5-4). It was behind the service line that the Gamecocks slipped, as 12 Aggie aces covered for an offense that hit just .197 in the match. Kyla Manning led the team with 15 kills, Mallory Dixon had a career-high five aces and four Gamecocks cracked double-digit digs in the match.
 
SET ONE: Both teams struggled to play clean in the opening game, combining for 22 kills and a hitting percentage of just .078. Texas A&M broke away from a 9-all tie with a 5-0 run early and would not look back from there in a 25-20 final. South Carolina’s defense produced three blocks and 18 digs, but the offense had almost as many errors (10) as kills (12). Manning’s five kills led all hitters. 
 
SET TWO: In what would be the most competitive set of the night, the teams traded 14 ties and three lead changes before the Aggies used the service line late to pull out a 25-22 win and a 2-0 lead. Neither side led by more than two points until the final margin was set, A&M ended with three unanswered points – the final two coming off service aces. Mikayla Robinson had her strongest set of the night with six kills to power the offense, and Lauren Bowers gave the back line a boost with six digs in the set off the bench.
 
SET THREE: South Carolina was able to exact some momentary revenge in the third, building a big lead and cruising to a 25-16 win. The offense erupted for 16 kills and a .483 hitting percentage, with four different attackers going for three or more kills. The lead went as high as 13 points for the Gamecocks, 23-10, and the home side was able to extend the match.
 
SET FOUR: Passing woes kept the Gamecock rally from going any further than set four, Texas A&M used a big run behind the service line to pull away for a 25-16 final that capped the match. It was a tight start to the set, but the Aggies scored a 9-2 run that expanded an 8-7 lead into a 17-9 margin the Gamecocks could not recover from. In that 9-2 run alone, the Aggies had four service aces and finished the set with six.
 
NOTABLE

• The Gamecocks finished with more kills and a higher hitting percentage in the match despite the loss. Coming into Wednesday, the team was 8-0 when recording more kills and 9-0 when out-hitting opponents this season.
• Texas A&M’s 12 aces were the most by a Gamecock opponent so far this year and most since Clemson had 14 in a five-set loss to Carolina on Sept. 12 of 2019.
• Dixon’s five aces are the most by a Gamecock in a four-set match since Mikayla Shields on Sept. 22, 2019. It is the sixth-highest total in a four-set match in the program’s rally-scoring era (since 2001).
• Mikayla Robinson moved past 900 career kills Wednesday night and is two shy of moving up to fifth for most career kills in the rally-scoring era.
• With 15 kills Wednesday, Kyla Manning surpassed the 1,000 career kill milestone – 844 of which came during her three seasons at Coastal Carolina.

UP NEXT
The Gamecock home stand comes to a close Thursday night in the series finale with Texas A&M. First serve against the Aggies will be at 7 p.m. and airs on the SEC Network+.