Gamecocks Sweep USC Upstate in Non-Conference Finale
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Gamecocks (6-4) closed out non-conference play at home with their third sweep of the season, powering past USC Upstate (6-6) in a 3-0 victory Friday night.
South Carolina controlled both sides of the net, recording a season-high hitting percentage of .391 and totaling 11 blocks across the three sets.
1st SET: The Gamecocks came out strong, jumping to an 8-2 lead after a 4-0 run early on. They continued to roll, stretching the advantage to 23-6 behind a 5-0 run fueled by kills from Nia Hall and Alayna Johnson. USC Upstate attempted a late push, but a service error handed Carolina the 25-11 win.
2nd SET: Momentum stayed with South Carolina in the second frame, opening with a service ace from Victoria Hill and building a 7-1 lead at the media timeout behind two Hall kills. The Gamecocks kept at least a five-point cushion for most of the set, later sparking a 4-0 run with kills from Hill and a big swing from Ava Leahy to make it 14-4. Back-to-back blocks by Laiya Ebo and Emily Beeker helped keep the Spartans at bay, and late kills from Phoebe Reyes, Beeker, and Hall closed out the 25-13 win.
3rd SET: The final set was the most competitive, as the teams traded points until a Leahy kill sparked a 3-0 run. South Carolina pushed ahead 19-15 after another Beeker kill, but USC Upstate battled back to tie it at 19 heading into a South Carolina timeout. After several back-and-forth rallies, Beeker delivered the decisive kill to secure the sweep, 25-23.
Notables
- Emily Beeker tied her season high of 7 blocks
- Sydney Floyd led the team with 3 aces, a season high for the junior
- The team hit 9 total aces, the second highest mark this season
- The .391 hitting percentage was a season high
- Two Gamecocks, Victoria Hill (.556) and Alayna Johnson (.500), had hitting percentages of .500 or better
Up Next: The Gamecocks begin SEC play on the road next week, first facing Kentucky on Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 7:00 p.m. before rounding out the week at Tennessee for a 6:30 p.m. match on Friday, Sept. 26.
