Nov. 5, 2004
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina volleyball attempted a late rally to try and snap a losing streak but fell short as the LSU Tigers defeated USC 3-1 Friday night. The Gamecocks (11-11, 4-9 SEC) lost 30-23, 30-19, 26-30, 30-26 to the Tigers (14-9, 6-7 SEC). The loss is the fifth straight for USC. Shonda Cole led both teams in kills with 19, while Sarah Morgan led USC in hitting with 11 kills and a .320 average. The Gamecocks were down 2-0 before they rallied in game three but were unable to hold off the Tigers in game four.
“I am disappointed in the outcome. We came on strong too late in the match,” said head coach Kim Hudson. “We had some sparks throughout the match but it wasn’t consistent enough. In games three and four we played better as a team but it was too late.”
In game one, USC was down 17-8 before they went on a six-point run that included three service aces, to come within three, 17-14. From there, the Gamecocks were able to stay within two to three points before LSU eventually went on a 8-3 run to take game one 30-23. A service ace by Regan Hood put the Tigers up 1-0.
Game two continued to be a struggle for USC as LSU scored on four consecutive service aces by Jelena Mijatovic, to go up 5-0. Mijatovic totaled eight aces for the match. Carolina did not record their first point in the game until a service error by Mijatovic put the Gamecocks on the board, 6-1. USC posted only eight kills in game two and had four errors in 25 attempts to hit .160. LSU countered that with 16 kills and only two errors in 32 attempts for a .438 hitting percentage. The Tigers went up 2-0 with the 30-19 win.
Carolina’s late surge came in game three as USC fought hard to grab a lead and maintain it. Cole connected on back-to-back kills to tie the game 15-15 for USC then a block assist by Katelyn Panzau and Nicole Miller put the Gamecocks in the lead. Carolina would hold on to the lead and eventually win 30-26 on a kill by Morgan. Game three was the only game where the Gamecocks hit over .200 as they registered a .349 average. USC’s 21 kills in game three was the high for both teams in the match.
In game four, Carolina had an early lead in the game but after a service error by Miller at the 8-6 mark, LSU’s Rachel Pittman served 10 straight times to give the Tigers a 15-9 lead. USC did continue to fight and was able to tie the game 23-23 on back-to-back kills by Panzau and Cole. Tied again at 25-25, a kill by Melody Clark put LSU in the lead and the Tigers were able to win the game 30-26 on two attack errors by USC and two more Tiger kills.
USC had their worst hitting game of the match in game four as they posted 17 kills with 11 errors in 40 attempts for a .150 percentage. For the match, LSU hit .312 while the Gamecocks hit .223, their highest team percentage since their win against Auburn back on Oct. 17.
The Gamecocks return to action on Sunday for their final home SEC match of the season. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday is also “Family Day” and all kids get in free.
