Sept. 6, 2005
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina volleyball team improved to 4-0 on the season as the Gamecocks defeated the Charlotte 49ers (0-6) 30-25, 30-20, 30-21 in a 3-0 home opener sweep. The team recorded a season high attack percentage with .327 as they posted 49 kills and 14 errors in 107 attempts.
“I thought we played well. I liked the adjustments we made. We didn’t know a lot about Charlotte. We didn’t have time to get a tape on them with it being a holiday weekend so we kind of came into this match a little blind,” said head coach Nancy Somera. “I told the team we would have to make adjustments as we go and I think we did a nice job doing that.”
South Carolina had five players hit over .300. Iris Santos posted a career high .692 attack percentage with nine kills and zero errors in 13 attempts, and 28 assists. Santos also had four of USC’s nine service aces. Shonda Cole extended her double-figure kill matches to four straight as she recorded 17 for the night with a .306 attack percentage.
“Iris is really starting to understand running the offense as a setter. She was recruited here to play outside hitter but has been converted to a setter. She is finally understanding how to get hitters open and how to keep the opposing blockers guessing,” said Somera. “She had a great offensive night too. Her numbers were great for a setter: nine kills, zero errors and she hit .692. That is not bad.”
Marija Milesovic led the team in digs with 12, while Sarah Morgan had 10. Crystal Johnson and Cole each recorded five total blocks to lead the team.
“Crystal Johnson has done a nice job stepping in at that middle blocker spot,” said Somera. “I think we have lost a little offense with Lauren being gone, but Crystal has definitely been doing her part defensively.”
The Garnet and Black hit over .300 in all three games and held the 49ers to .126 for the match. Defensively, USC outblocked Charlotte 9-4 and recorded 47 digs to the Charlotte’s 39. South Carolina continued to improve on decreasing errors as the Gamecocks recorded a season low 14 errors.
USC had to play catch-up early on in the match during game one. Charlotte got out to as much as a five point lead before a kill by Cole tied the game 12-12. At the 19-19 mark, Lynae Vanden Hull had a kill to tie it for USC once again before back-to-back service aces by Morgan put the Gamecocks up 21-19. The lead dwindled once again, and Charlotte made a run to tie it 24-24.
With a kill by Cole, USC went ahead 27-25 and the Gamecocks earned their final winning points on a service ace by Santos, a kill by Johnson and block assists by Johnson and Cole.
USC led game two by capitalizing on Charlotte mistakes. The 49ers hit -.026 for the game as they recorded 10 kills and 11 errors. A service error by Vanden Hull pulled Charlotte to within one at the 20-19 mark but that would be the closest Charlotte would get as the Gamecocks charged forward and finished with a 10-point win and a 2-0 lead as they headed into the break.
In game three, Charlotte came out like they did in game one and once again, established a lea, forcing USC to climb back into the game. After back-to-back errors, USC connected on three consecutive kills by Milosevic and Cole to give the Gamecocks a two-point 15-13 lead. From that point on, the Gamecocks shifted into overdrive and never looked back. They held Charlotte to just six more points as South Carolina won the game 30-21. Match point came on a kill by Johnson to seal the 3-0 victory.
With the win, USC extends its streak against Charlotte to 9-0. The Gamecocks return to action this weekend when they travel to Chapel Hill for the North Carolina Tournament, Friday and Saturday.
