Gamecocks Lose at Missouri
The team will be on the road again for two matches next weekend
COLUMBIA, MO. – South Carolina volleyball dropped a three-set match at Missouri (18-6, 10-4 SEC) Sunday afternoon, 25-21, 27-25, 25-21. The Gamecocks move to 16-10 overall for the season, 8-6 in conference play. Mikayla Shields recorded her fourth double-double of SEC play, with 11 kills and 13 digs, but not even 12 blocks from South Carolina’s defense could not slow the nation’s No. 2-ranked offense.
SET ONE: The Gamecocks were able to jump out to an early lead, but fell behind 11-7 after a 6-0 run from the Tigers. Missouri would not trail the rest of the way in a 25-21 final, but the Gamecocks were able to tie the score at 19 thanks to blocks on consecutive points from Mikayla Shields and Claire Edwards. The Tigers answered with back-to-back kills to put the home side back in front for good. Both sides found their own keys in the game, Missouri recorded four aces on serve while the Gamecocks countered with four total blocks. Jess Vastine paced the offense with three kills in the first six points for the team, and the junior finished with four total in the set.
SET TWO: South Carolina continued to lean on its defense to account for points early in set two, getting a pair of blocks and two service aces from Shields to take a 9-6 lead and force the Tigers into an early timeout. The Gamecocks were able to maintain their lead, and pushed out to their biggest advantage with Shields’ fourth ace of the set putting them ahead 20-15. The Tigers rallied to cut the deficit to two, 21-19, but Carolina came out of a called timeout to score the next three points for set point. Missouri would deny the Gamecocks with a 5-0 run of its own that tied the set at 24. A missed serve set up another Carolina set point, but the Tigers used back-to-back blocks to close out the 27-25 final and a 2-0 lead.
SET THREE: Neither side would take command early in the set, with two lead changes and ten ties before the Gamecocks took a 15-14 lead into the media timeout. Out of the break, Missouri put down back-to-back kills from its middle hitters to take the lead back, and pushed ahead 21-18 to force a Carolina timeout. The break would not slow down the Tigers’ top-ranked offense, as the home side closed the match with its best game of the afternoon, hitting .429 with 20 kills to just 11 kills for the Gamecocks.
NEXT UP: South Carolina has a full road weekend ahead of it now, starting with a Friday night match at Georgia on Nov. 22. The team then heads west for a Sunday matinee against Auburn.