Carolina Volleyball Takes Five-Game Thriller Over LSU

Oct. 28, 2007

Final Stats in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina, behind junior middle blocker Belita Salters’ 15 kills and eight blocks, took a wild five-game win from LSU, 27-30, 30-26, 30-24, 27-30, 15-10, on Sunday afternoon at the Volleyball Competition Facility. The Gamecocks moved to 11-12 on the season and 4-10 in Southeastern Conference play, while the Tigers fell to 18-6, 9-5 in league action.

Sophomore outside hitter Ivana Kujundzic tallied her 11th double-double of the season with a team-high 17 kills and 10 digs. Setters Petra Lorenzi and Jordan Bradosky also had double-doubles, as the junior Lorenzi had 26 assists and a season-best 14 digs while the freshman Bradosky had 30 assists to go with her 11 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Meredith Moorhead had 11 kills, and freshman middle blocker Megan Laughlin compiled 10 kills and three solo blocks. Freshman Hannah Lawing led all Gamecocks with her career-high 25 digs, and sophomore libero Sarah Cline contributed 18.

The Tigers’ duo of Kyna Washington and Marina Skender both complied double-doubles. Washington had 19 kills and 20 digs, while Skender added 15 kills and a squad-best 22 digs. Setter Brittany Johnson also added a double-double with 53 assists and 10 digs. Libero Elena Martinez had 17 digs, while Michelle Hensgens added 15.

LSU had control of game one from the start, running out to a 3-0 lead on kills from Brittnee Cooper and Skender. Carolina tied it up at 9-9 after three consecutive attack errors by the Tigers. The Purple and Gold then got four straight, getting kills from Cooper, Skender and Angela Bensend in the run. The Garnet and Black responded with a five-point run of their own, sparked by a Kujundzic kill and extended by three more Bayou Bengal hitting errors before Laughlin capped it with her first kill of the contest. After a Washington smash, the Gamecocks rolled off three more to take a 17-14 lead after a Laughlin kill and a kill and block from Salters. Eventually, LSU responded, tying up the match at 23-23 on a Washington ace. The lead grew to 26-23 after a pair of USC attack errors followed a Bensend kill. LSU wrapped up the frame with a Skender kill, one of five in the game for her.

The Gamecocks started game two on a 6-0 run, started by two Salters kills and helped by three Tiger hitting errors. Kujundzic and Salters capped the skein with a block. LSU closed the gap to 8-5 after a Bensend kill and setting errors by the Gamecocks. The Garnet and Black pushed the lead out to 11-5 on a Kujundzic kill and a block from freshmen Laughlin and Dani Bedore. After the lead grew to 20-14, the Purple and Gold drew within three after a Skender kill and another pair of Gamecock attacking errors. South Carolina got another three-point run a service error and attack error by LSU and a block from Salters and Lawing. After the Gamecocks got to game point, the Tigers made things interesting, getting kills from Skender and Johnson around blocks by Skender and Tania Schatow to make it 29-26. Laughlin, however, wrapped up the game with a kill. The Gamecocks hit .343 in the game two triumph.

The third game seemed to be a repeat of game two, as the Gamecocks started out hot on Lawing’s serve. After the squads traded service errors, South Carolina took over, getting a block from Kujundzic and Salters and kills from Kujundzic and Moorhead to take a 5-1 lead. The Bayou Bengals drew within two at 13-11, but that would be as close as they got. The Gamecocks closed out the frame getting five of the final six points, two coming from Bedore. Carolina had 28 digs in game three alone.

The Tigers got the first real advantage in game four, taking an 8-6 lead after kills from Skender, Lauren DeGirolamo and Bensend. The lead grew to 12-8 after another pair of kills from DeGirolamo and Washington. A Washington ace at 16-11 caused the Gamecocks to call timeout, which seemed to help the squad. They charged back to take an 18-17 lead after consecutive blocks from Lawing and Salters. After the teams traded side outs, the Tigers took the advantage back, running off four points on a DeGirolamo and Washington block and a Johnson kill. Carolina made a stand at 28-24, drawing to within one after LSU service, handling and hitting errors. DeGirolamo stopped the bleeding with her spike before Johnson took matters in her own hands, smashing a ball to take the 30-27 victory. Johnson had three kills, five digs and 12 assists in the frame.

Game five began with LSU taking the first two points before the Gamecocks swung back to a 3-2 advantage. The Tigers took the advantage back, 4-3, after a Skender kill. But Carolina captured the momentum for a moment after a solo block from Laughlin. Moorhead got a kill, while she combined with Salters for a block to put USC up, 6-4. LSU tied it up at 7-7 following a Carolina service error and a Washington kill. The squads then traded service errors on three straight points before the Gamecocks took over. A Tiger attack error sparked the run that included one kill from Lawing and two from Laughlin in a five-point run to push the Gamecocks to game point, 14-8. Skender got LSU back on serve with a kill, while the Tigers caught Carolina in a rotation to make it a four-point game But Bedore loaded up and drilled another Bradosky set into the hardwood to wrap up the match. Lawing and Cline were huge in the deciding game, getting four and three digs, respectively, and helping LSU to a -.048 hitting percentage in the final frame.

The Gamecocks had an edge in hitting percentag, assists, digs and blocks. LSU had 17 service errors in the game. The victory was Carolina’s first in five games this year.

South Carolina continues the tough stretch with a Halloween night showdown against No. 10 Florida. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at the Volleyball Competition Facility.