Gamecocks Fall to No. 17 Kentucky

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Volleyball’s five-game win streak came to an end Friday night at home at the hands of the defending conference champion, with Kentucky (19-6, 12-2 SEC) sweeping the Gamecocks (16-9, 8-5) in the Carolina Volleyball Center. This is South Carolina’s first loss in straight sets at home since Oct. 15, 2017, a span of 28 matches.
 
SET ONE: Kentucky pushed the pace through its serve game throughout the match, but the Gamecock offense had an efficient opening game despite yielding four aces to the Wildcats. Carolina hit .280 but had just 10 kills, as Kentucky finished the game with a 75 percent sideout percentage. With almost no opportunities for runs, the Gamecocks were worn down on defense and dropped a 25-19 decision to begin the match. Claire Edwards led the team with four kills on just five attempts in the set. 
 
SET TWO: The second set followed a similar path; South Carolina hit .296 with 13 kills, getting four apiece from Mikayla Shields and Mikayla Robinson, but Kentucky countered with 16 kills and a .600 team hitting percentage on the way to another 25-19 final score. After falling behind early, South Carolina rallied for a 6-1 run to tie the score at 15, but Kentucky came out of its called timeout to get the next three points and never looked back. 
 
SET THREE: A big run early on for the visitors broke the third set open, and Kentucky closed out the match with a 25-13 score. With the Wildcats ahead 6-4, they ran off seven points in a row and would eventually push the lead out to double digits for the final margin. Shields recorded five of the team’s eight kills in the set, but the offense would hit just .062 thanks to four blocks by Kentucky.
 
NEXT UP: South Carolina heads to Columbia west for a Sunday afternoon match at Missouri to finish off the weekend. The Tigers are 16-6 (8-4 SEC) and are receiving votes in the latest coaches top-25 poll.