South Carolina Defeats Houston Baptist, 3-1, to Wrap Weekend Tournament

HOUSTON, TEXAS – South Carolina rallied back from its first defeat of the season with a 3-1 win over Houston Baptist (3-2) Saturday afternoon. The Gamecocks, now 5-1 for the season, had a strong offensive showing from Mikayla Shields and Brittany McLean to down the Huskies. The duo combined for 28 of the team’s 54 total kills.
 
SET 1: The Gamecocks took advantage of Huskie miscues in the opening half of the game, and rolled to a 25-14 win. Courtney Koehler served the team out to a 6-0 run that broke a 5-5 tie, and Shields had back-to-back aces to extend the lead out to 18-8 and burn HBU’s final timeout. South Carolina had four aces in the set, and Shields and Claire Edwards led the offense with three kills apiece. As a team, the Gamecocks out-hit the Huskies .308 to .107.
 
SET 2: Houston Baptist evened the match after a 25-22 win, aided by seven unforced attack errors from the Gamecocks. Despite finishing with more kills than their opponents in the set, four attack errors fueled a 7-0 run for the Huskies that gave away Carolina’s 14-12 lead and they would not be able to recover. Shields led the team with an incredibly efficient set, getting seven kills on eight swings without committing an error.
 
SET 3: The Gamecock offense responded well to kick off the third, getting eight kills without an error on its first 16 swings to build a 14-8 lead on the Huskies. The lead would be cut to two, 15-13, but a 5-2 stretch extended South Carolina’s lead back out to five, with a pair of kills from Edwards leading the run. That would be all the cushion needed in a 25-22 win.
 
SET 4: South Carolina’s offense saved its best for last, as it recorded 16 kills and hit .375 in a 25-18 win to clinch the win. Three different hitters had four or more kills in the set, led by five from McLean. The defense would be stout as well, as four blocks from Mikayla Robinson helped to hold Houston Baptist to a .000 attack percentage.
 
NOTABLE

• Shields and Ezell represented South Carolina on the all-tournament team. Shields hit .291 with 41 kills and 30 digs, Ezell had 48 digs and 14 aces.
• With three more aces Saturday, Aubrey Ezell now has 25 for the season. The senior moved into a tie with Jodi Thompson (1991-94) for fifth in the program’s all-time history with her 162 career aces.
• McLean ended the weekend with 38 total kills, after putting away 13 against the Huskies.

QUOTABLE: HEAD COACH TOM MENDOZA

UP NEXT: The team has a quick turnaround before its next match, as it hosts Charlotte on Tuesday night at home. First serve between the Gamecocks and 49ers is scheduled for 7 p.m.