Sept. 14, 2007
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COLUMBIA, S.C. – A valiant comeback from a 2-0 deficit fell just short as Auburn captured a thrilling five-game victory over South Carolina, 30-27, 30-28, 18-30, 27-30, 15-10, in both squad’s first Southeastern Conference match of the season. The Tigers improve to 9-3 on the campaign, while the Gamecocks move to 7-3.
The Gamecocks saw both sophomore Ivana Kujundzic and freshman Jordan Bradosky collect double-doubles on the night. Kujundzic tied for the match lead with a career-high 20 kills and 19 digs, while Bradosky had 60 assists with 22 digs, also career highs. Freshman Megan Laughlin led all hitters with a .400 hitting percentage and added 17 kills. Freshman Annie Thomas had her first career double-digit kill match, knocking down 19 balls, with Dani Bedore adding 12. Junior Belita Salters made 10 kills as well, while classmate Dinelia Concepcion had 19 digs.
Auburn had four players collect double-doubles, with Jessica Glover leading the way with her 20 kills and 12 digs. Jelena Sekulic added 18 kills and 13 digs, while Rachel Shanks put down 17 balls and dug out 14. Setter Nicky Gerig had 11 digs and 56 assists, while libero Liz Crouch added 16 digs. Whitney Jacob had nine kills and nine total blocks in the match.
In game one, play went back and forth until 25-25, when Shanks had two straight kills to put the Tigers up by two. Lauren Mellor stretched it another point before Laughlin ended the run and brought the Gamecocks within two. Kujundzic knocked down another to put USC back just one, but Glover gave Auburn the chance to serve out for the game with her kill. And Shanks did just that, putting an ace in to end the frame. Both teams hit over .300 in the game, with Auburn checking in at .340.
Game two saw South Carolina fight back from four down to tie the game at 14-14 on a Bedore kill. Both teams battled and were knotted at 25 when Auburn’s Glover got a kill. Mellor found a hole in the Gamecock defense with her serve to give the Tigers the lead, 26-25. An attack error by the Garnet and Black put Auburn up by two, but Bedore once again ended the run with her kill. The teams swapped points back and forth with Shanks ending the game with another kill. Auburn hit .250 in the frame to take the 30-28 win.
After the break, the Gamecocks came out with new life. Hitting .308 and holding the Tigers to just nine kills while forcing nine attack errors, South Carolina took the third game, 30-18. The squad shot out to a 12-4 lead and never looked back, stretching it to 15-5 before ending the frame with three straight points, two coming from the arm of Salters.
Game four went back to the struggle from the first two, but the Gamecocks came out on top, 30-27. A .435 hitting percentage for South Carolina, with 25 kills coming off attacks, vaulted the Garnet over the Tigers, who hit .326 in the frame. Once again, the squads were tied at 25, but this time the Gamecocks would take the advantage. A hitting error by the Tigers and a Laughlin kill put USC up 27-25. Auburn knotted it up again at 27 all before Laughlin and Bedore strung together three straight kills to capture the game.
Game five swung on a block by Auburn’s Glover and Jacob, putting the Tigers in the lead for good at 4-3. Kills from Shanks and Glover pushed the lead out to 6-3 before Bedore ended the run. The Gamecocks kept fighting, closing to within one after another Auburn error, but kills by Shanks and Sekulic and an ace by Gerig put the match out of reach. The Blue and Orange closed out the match with a block assist from Jacob and Sekulic and an ace by Crouch.
This is the third straight match in the series to go five games, with South Carolina getting the better end of the contests twice last season. The Auburn win also ends a 14-match winning streak the Gamecocks held over the Tigers. Auburn had 11 total team blocks and 10 service aces in the match, while South Carolina held the edge in hitting percentage, digs and assists.
The Gamecocks return to action on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. when they host Georgia at the Volleyball Competition Facility in Columbia.
