Sept. 6, 2008
KINGSTON, R.I. – South Carolina dispatched Stony Brook in a 3-0 sweep, 25-18, 25-18, 25-10, to clinch the Art Carmichael Classic title with a 3-0 record at Keaney Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon. The win moved the Gamecocks to 5-1 on the season, while the Seawolves fall to 2-4.
Junior outside hitter Ivana Kujundzic tallied 11 kills, nine digs and four blocks in the win for South Carolina. Sophomore middle blocker Megan Laughlin had nine kills, while senior Belita Salters and sophomore Annie Thomas both contributed seven. Junior Meredith Moorhead had six kills as well. Sophomore Hannah Lawing had 12 digs in the contest, while senior Dinelia Concepcion added 10. Sophomore setter Jordan Bradosky had 33 assists in the contest. Gulce Nazil Dikecligil and Alicia Nelson led the Seawolves with seven kills each, while Dikecligil added nine digs.
After falling behind early, 8-6, the Gamecocks got 10 of the next 11 points to take a 16-9 advantage. Three different Gamecocks had a kill, while five Seawolf errors, including a rotation error, contributed to the run. Stony Brook got to within three at 18-15 after capturing five of six points. A Kujundzic back-row kill capped a three-point swing, putting South Carolina back up by six, 21-15. A Lawing ace ended the frame at 25-18. Laughlin had four kills and a solo block in the frame.
The Gamecocks ran out to a 9-2 lead before Stony Brook clawed back into the match, tying it at 13-13 with a solo block by Lindsey Gordon. After trading sideouts, the Carolina Gamecocks took six of seven points to grow the lead to 20-15. Lawing had an ace to close the run. Moorhead closed out the set with a smash right down the middle. Salters had four kills in the frame, while three other Gamecocks had three. Lawing added five digs to her ace.
The third set saw South Carolina start off fast again, getting an 8-2 lead. Stony Brook got within three at 8-5 after a pair of aces from Lisa Doremus, but the Gamecocks would make it 17-7 before long, getting a six-point run together at one point. Four different Gamecocks had kills, while Bradosky added an ace in that stretch. A block by Thomas and Laughlin ended the run. The Garnet ended the match with the final six points, as Salters got two kills including the capper in the final stretch. Kujundzic had five kills and four digs in the final frame, while the team hit .500 with just one attack error in the 25-10 win.
South Carolina hosts the Carolina Challenge next weekend at the Volleyball Competition Facility. The tourney starts at 10 a.m. on Friday when the Gamecocks and Cougars of the College of Charleston square off.
