Gamecocks Push Win Streak to Seven

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina volleyball ran its win streak to seven games with four-set victories over Stetson (3-3) and FIU (1-8) on Friday in the Carolina Volleyball Center. The Gamecocks are now on their longest-running win streak since 2018, with veterans Riley Whitesides and Oby Anadi stepping up for big performances in each of the victories.

In the weekend opener against Stetson, the Gamecocks faced a uniquely under-staffed Hatters squad that had injuries to the only two setters on the roster. Both teams needed to adjust to the personnel difference, but Carolina got on the board first with a 25-18 win thanks to a 14-8 advantage in kills and four service aces as a team. In set two, the Gamecock offense had its best performance of the afternoon, racking up 18 kills on a .533 hitting percentage to go up 2-0 with a 25-11 win.

The team mixed in some new faces for the third set and were unable to continue the success from set two, Stetson snapped a streak of 13 sets won in a row by South Carolina with a 25-19 decision that extended the match. In the fourth, the Gamecock defense limited Stetson to just six kills while Riley Whitesides and Oby Anadi accounted for nine of the team’s 14, on the way to a 25-15 decision to clinch the match.

Whitesides led a trio of Gamecocks with double-digit kills in the Stetson win, the fifth-year pin finished with 18. Anadi was close behind with a career-high 13 kills to go with four blocks, and junior Alayna Johnson added 10 kills and five service aces, also a new career high.

In the nightcap against the Panthers, the Gamecocks opened on a heater, winning set one by a 25-7 margin. It was the fewest points allowed by Carolina since 2016 and was fueled by a nearly perfect performance by its offense and defense. The offense hit .625 as a team, with six different players going for multiple kills. Whitesides and Ellie Ruprich each converted all of the attacks into kills, four for Whitesides and three for her classmate. On defense, FIU had as many kills (4) as South Carolina had blocks and the back line finished with a 15-8 advantage in digs.

Set two would follow a similar theme, the Gamecocks got their biggest boost behind the service line this time with a FIU making six service errors and Carolina dropping in two aces. Whitesides and Tireh Smith would lead the offense, though the team needed just 10 kills to secure a 25-17 win and a 2-1 set lead. Similar to the Stetson match earlier, though, the team wasn’t able to secure the sweep, giving up a 24-19 lead with a 7-0 FIU run to extend the match.

The Gamecocks regained their composure in the fourth with the senior Anadi leading the way. She finished with four kills and three blocks (two solo) in the set, helping Carolina win 25-13 for the clinching game. The home side hit .438 with 15 kills and added a game high four blocks and 20 digs on defense to hold the Panthers under .100 for a team hitting percentage.

NOTABLE

• 10 different Gamecocks recorded a kill in the win over Stetson, highlighted by a career-high 13 kills by Oby Anadi, who hit .435 in the game.
• Anadi surpassed herself again in the FIU win, hitting .714 with 10 kills on just 14 attacks. The senior middle has hit .700 or better in three of the last four games and is up to a .476 hitting percentage for the fall. She is the first Gamecock with 10+ kills and a hitting percentage north of .700 since March 6, 2021 (Riley Whitesides, .700 vs. Ole Miss).
• Junior setter Sarah Jordan had the offense cooking; the Gamecocks finished with its two highest kill totals and two highest hitting percentages of the season in Friday’s doubleheader.
• Alayna Johnson’s five service aces breaks her previous best of three, accomplished three times in her career already. She led a Gamecock serving core that recorded a season-high nine aces against the Hatters. She would add three more in the win over FIU, pushing her season total to 12. She had 10 aces total in 2023, over 78 sets played.
• Victoria Harris picked up her second 20-dig match of her freshman season, totaling 22 against Stetson. The libero added 18 in the nightcap against FIU, pushing her over 100 so far this season in 27 sets.
• Tireh Smith continues to see improvements in her offensive game, the redshirt sophomore has either matched or set a career high for kills in four consecutive games, culminating in an 11-kill night against FIU.

QUOTABLE: TOM MENDOZA

UP NEXT: After a Saturday off, the team finishes the weekend against Wake Forest at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15.