Oct. 5, 2007

Final Stats

Complete Game Book in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Sophomore outside hitter Meredith Moorhead collected a career-high 18 kills to lead the South Carolina volleyball team to a 3-1 triumph over Tennessee, 23-30, 30-27, 30-23, 30-22, at the Volleyball Competition Facility on Friday night. The win pushed the Gamecocks to 9-7 on the season and 2-5 in Southeastern Conference play, while the Lady Vols fall to 7-7, 2-5 in league action.

Sophomore Ivana Kujundzic and freshman Megan Laughlin assisted Moorhead, as both tallied 15 kills. Kujundzic collected her third straight double-double, adding 11 digs as well. Laughlin also paced the squad with a .500 hitting percentage. Sophomore libero Sarah Cline had her third 20-dig match of the campaign and second consecutive with 21, while freshman Hannah Lawing had 16 digs along with nine kills. Junior Belita Salters also added eight kills and eight blocks.

Tennessee was led by freshman Nikki Fowler’s 14 kills and sophomore Leah Hinkey’s 12. Three Lady Vols were in double digits in digs, with libero Chloe Goldman leading the way with 17.

Carolina ran out to a 15-12 lead in the first game behind three kills from Salters before the Lady Vols started their comeback. Two kills from Hinkey around one from Fowler caused the Gamecocks to call timeout to try to stop the run. UT’s Milan Clarke would get one more in to give Tennessee its first lead since 2-1 before Bedore stopped the streak with a kill. The Big Orange would not be stopped, though, as they took six of the next seven points to get a 22-17 advantage. A Lawing kill and a ball handling error brought the Garnet to within three, but they would not get closer. The Lady Vols ended the game getting five of the final six points, including an ace from Fowler to set up game point. Tennessee hit .316, while UT also got six blocks in the frame.

Game two started out great for the Gamecocks. USC got eight consecutive points to take an 8-1 advantage behind Moorhead and Salters, who both had a kill and combined for two blocks during that skein. After UT fought back with a pair of small runs, the Garnet stretched the lead back out to eight after a Laughlin ace and a block by Lawing and Salters. After Tennessee got within three at 18-15, the Gamecocks ran off three more points on kills by Laughlin and Kujundzic and a block by the duo. Tennessee would get within one at 23-22 after three errors by Carolina. But the squad would rebound, taking four straight points on kills from freshman Dani Bedore, Kujundzic and Moorhead along with a block from Salters and Moorhead put the Gamecocks up, 28-24. Tennessee tried to fight back with a pair of points, but USC would not allow it, ending the game with a Kujundzic kill, her fifth of the frame. Five Gamecock blocks helped Carolina capture the game.

Game three saw the Gamecocks fight back from a 10-8 deficit to take a 16-13 advantage on an amazing play from Laughlin. First, she kept the point alive with a sliding save at the net to send a free ball over. Then the freshman got the point with one of her seven kills in the game. The Lady Vols took the next two points, but USC answered with two of its own. After South Carolina stretched the lead to 22-17, Tennessee closed the gap with four of the next six points. South Carolina responded with a five-point run with three kills from Bedore, Lawing and Laughlin. A Tennessee error ended the game, one of seven in the game for the Lady Vols.

South Carolina pushed ahead in game three at the midway point after falling behind, 8-5 and 12-9, taking six of seven points to move to a 15-13 lead. Two kills in the run came from Moorhead. After the squads traded side outs, the Garnet and Black went on another three-point run behind Bedore and Kujundzic kills and a Kujundzic ace. The Gamecocks would get two more aces over the course of the game, including one from freshman setter Jordan Bradosky, her third of the match, to close out the victory.

The Gamecocks hit .265 for the match, compared to .171 for Tennessee. South Carolina also had the advantage in kills, 71-53, assists, 65-47, and digs, 70-59. The teams tied in total team blocks and aces.

The Garnet host Kentucky on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at the Volleyball Competition Facility.