Oct. 19, 2003
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Despite having four players notch double-digit kills in the four game match, South Carolina fell to the visiting Tigers of LSU Sunday 3-1. Lauren Ford made 15 kills for the Gamecocks while Niece Curry added 14 but Carolina only hit .194 as a team. South Carolina falls to 10-10, 4-4 in the Southeastern Conference while LSU improves to 9-12, 4-5 in the SEC. Game scores were 30-18, 22-30, 26-30, and 17-30.
“We didn’t have our rhythm in this match,” said Carolina Head Coach Kim Hudson Christopher. “We are not passing well and in the last three matches we have just not played well. We are going to have to come together as a team and figure out a way to come out and play our true game.”
LSU hit .304 on the match despite recording an even number of kills (57) with South Carolina. The Bayou Bengals put up a brick wall, recording 12 total team blocks to Carolina’s nine. Sarah Morgan notched 12 kills and Lynae Vanden Hull added 11.
South Carolina came out firing in game one, hitting an impressive .581 to the Tigers’ .200. Curry led Carolina with seven kills while Ford notched seven. USC notched 21 kills to LSU’s 13 and never fell behind in the game as they led by as much as 27-14. Ford notched a kill to seal the 30-18 game one win for South Carolina.
LSU hit .353 in the 30-22 game two victory as the Tigers tied the match at one. Vanden Hull, Curry, and Ford all made three kills for the Gamecocks in the game while Kassi Mikulik led LSU with five kills. South Carolina only hit .152 in the game while the two teams tied with four total team blocks.
South Carolina had 16 kills to LSU’s 14 in game three but still fell 30-26. Vanden Hull and Curry once again led Carolina with three kills and LSU out blocked USC three to one.
USC couldn’t get anything going in game four, falling down 24-11 early. South Carolina hit -.094 in the game while LSU hit .300. The Tigers out blocked Carolina in the game five to two on their way to the 30-17 game four win and the 3-1 match victory.
South Carolina now travels to Athens, Ga., to face the Bulldogs on Oct. 24 then take on the Gators of Florida in Gainesville on Oct. 26.
