Aug. 25, 2007
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NEWARK, Del. — South Carolina’s volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, losing 3-0 (20-30, 20-30, 28-30) to Delaware in the championship match of the Delaware/Asics Invitational in Newark, Del. The Gamecocks finished the weekend with a 2-1 record, snagging a pair of 3-0 victories over Binghamton and Boston College in their first two contests.
A pair of Gamecocks made the Delaware/Asics Invitational All-Tournament Team in freshmen Dani Bedore and Megan Laughlin. Bedore averaged three kills per game over the course of the event and hit at a .397 (27-4-58) clip. Laughlin also posted three kills per game with a .333 (27-6-63) hitting percentage while leading the team in blocks with 1.56 per game.
Belita Salters led the South Carolina offense versus the Blue Hens with nine kills on 19 attempts while adding four blocks. Bedore turned in eight kills, four digs and two blocks, while Laughlin contributed seven kills and three blocks. Sarah Cline had a career-high 18 digs to eclipse her previous best by one, and Hannah Lawing reached double figures as well with 10.
Delaware saw a pair of Blue Hens reach double digits in kills with Colleen Walsh posting a match-high 17 and Katie Dennehy ripping 13. Stephanie Barry gave an outstanding defensive performance with 24 digs, and she added four service aces. Greta Gibboney and Molly Rand had 12 and 10 digs, respectively, and Megan Welch made 42 assists.
Defensive saves were the deciding factor in the match, as the Blue Hens made 69 digs to the Gamecocks’ 52. The result was a .101 (39-24-148) attacking percentage for South Carolina compared to .220 (50-21-132) for Delaware.
The Third Degree Sportswear Invitational hosted by Virginia Commonwealth over Aug. 31 to Sept. 1 in Richmond, Va., is next on South Carolina’s docket. The Gamecocks play host VCU at 7 p.m. Friday before facing Maryland and George Washington the next day at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
