Sept. 17, 2006
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COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina’s volleyball team shocked No. 6 Florida on Sunday, downing the Gators 3-1 (30-22, 36-34, 26-30, 30-24) in Columbia, S.C., to move to 9-4 overall and 2-0 in the Southeastern Conference. Florida dropped to 8-2 and 1-1 in the league.
The win was USC’s first over Florida since Nov. 13, 1994, and ended a 25-match losing streak against the Gators. It also was just the second victory for the Gamecocks versus Florida since joining the SEC in 1991. Florida is the highest-ranked team South Carolina has defeated since the American Volleyball Coaches Association began keeping a poll in 1982.
“I didn’t even know that we had lost 25 straight to them,” USC head coach Nancy Somera said. “For me, we were 0-2 since I’ve been here, and I thought we could match up well and we did. We had great intensity by our squad throughout the entire match. I felt like we kept our composure, made adjustments and just played good volleyball.”
After the score was tied 5-5 in game one, South Carolina never relinquished the lead. The Gamecocks’ advantage swelled to double digits after a kill by senior outside hitter Shonda Cole gave USC a 23-13 upper hand. Florida managed to close the gap to six at 26-20 following a kill by Kisya Killingsworth, but it was not enough. Sophomore middle blocker Belita Salters served up an ace on game point to put Carolina ahead 1-0.
The Gators had a 26-24 lead in game two following a kill by Kristina Johnson, however, South Carolina countered with a kill and solo block by Cole to deadlock the score. USC had a 29-27 advantage after freshman middle blocker Ivana Kujundzic’s kill, but the Gators snagged the next two points. Florida had two chances to win the game up 31-30 and 32-31, but the Gamecocks answered with kills by senior outside hitter Lynae Vanden Hull and senior setter Iris Santos to keep the frame up for grabs. Cole put USC up 35-34 with a kill, and she combined with Kujundzic for a block on the next rally against Amber McCray to give South Carolina game two.
Florida held as much as a three-point lead in game four after winning the third 30-26. Angie McGinnis put the Gators up 17-14 with a kill, but USC came back with a kill from sophomore outside hitter Marija Milosevic and then picked up consecutive block assists from Santos and Salters to tie the score. After another kill by Cole gave South Carolina a 20-18 advantage, Florida called a timeout to regroup.
With Carolina clinging to a 21-20 lead, USC used a kill apiece from Cole and Milosevic, and two hitting errors by Florida to cap a 4-0 run. South Carolina still had a three-point advantage at 27-24 before the Gators misfired on a serve and followed with a hitting error. On match point, freshman defensive specialist Sarah Cline gave Florida a tough serve, and Killingsworth tried to keep her team alive by passing a free ball, but it clipped the top of the net and dropped on Florida’s side to give USC the victory.
“After winning game two 36-34 and Florida coming out to win game three, I felt really good about how we responded,” Somera said. “We stayed with the game plan and our adjustments, and didn’t let the momentum swing too much. It was emotion management. We could have started to press and didn’t. I think we learned that from some of the earlier losses this year.”
Cole posted her fifth 30-kill match of the season with 35 to lead South Carolina, and she committed just five errors while hitting .462 (35-5-65). She also had 17 digs for her second-straight double-double performance and third of the year. Cole’s 35 kills set a new school record in a four-game match, surpassing the old mark of 28 by Amy Iannoccari in South Carolina’s 1994 victory over Florida.
“Today’s match was the most on I’ve seen Shonda,” Somera said. “Getting 35 kills against that team is impressive. Every time she got the set, I thought in my mind where she needed to hit it and she nailed every shot. She was really on top of her attack selection. Not a bad defensive game either for her with 17 digs. She was taking care of the ball in front and back, and she was ripping that jump serve.”
Santos had her sixth double-double of 2006 with 60 assists and 10 kills. She also added four blocks and five digs. Milosevic tallied a season-high 17 kills, while senior libero Alexcis Thomson posted 19 digs. Salters and Vanden Hull turned in solid performances with nine and seven kills, and Salters had five blocks as well.
South Carolina recorded a .314 (82-23-188) hitting percentage and its 82 kills tied for the fourth-most in a four-game match in school history. Florida connected at a .257 (69-25-171) clip on its attacks and out-dug USC 73-67.
The Gamecocks begin a three-match road stretch Friday in Baton Rouge, La., against No. 18 LSU at 8 p.m. EST. Two days later, South Carolina takes on Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., at 2:30 p.m. EST.
