Sept. 12, 2008
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Gamecocks came out and dominated the College of Charleston, taking a 3-0 sweep, 25-13, 25-16, 25-22, in the first match of the Carolina Challenge. The victory moved South Carolina to 6-1 on the season, while the Cougars fell to 4-3.
Sophomore middle blocker Megan Laughlin had 15 kills on a .652 hitting percentage. That’s the fifth-best output in a three-game sweep in South Carolina history. Junior outside hitter Ivana Kujundzic collected her fourth double-double of the season with 13 kills and a match-high 12 digs. Redshirt senior Belita Salters added 12 kills, while junior outside hitter Annie Thomas contributed eight. Junior Sarah Cline added 11 digs, while senior Dinelia Concepcion had nine. Junior setter Bridget Denson-Dorman dished out 50 assists, made seven digs and had a match-best four blocks. Whitney Russell led the Cougars with her 11 kills.
The Gamecocks took the first set, 25-13, behind a quadruplet of attackers with four kills. Kujundzic, Laughlin, Moorhead and Salters all made that mark, while sophomore Hannah Lawing had four digs. South Carolina had four blocks as well, compared to none for the Cougars.
South Carolina ran out to a 9-4 lead in the second set, getting two kills each early on from Kujundzic, Laughlin and Salters. The lead grew to 18-9 and 20-10 before the Cougars started fighting back. A ball-handling error and kills by Dawley and Darty brought College of Charleston within seven. Laughlin, however, would help end the frame, getting two straight kills out of a timeout. Moorhead wrapped up the frame with a smash. Both Kujundzic and Salters had five kills in the second, while Laughlin ended up with six. Both Cline and Concepcion had six digs each in the frame.
The Cougars got a 2-0 lead early in set three thanks to two Gamecock attack errors. South Carolina would rebound to take a 16-11 lead, as Laughlin had two kills sandwiched around a Cougar handling error. Charleston made a five-point run to make it 18-17, with two handling errors by the Garnet and Black and an Emily Sawin ace contributing to that. The Gamecocks would go up by three, 21-18, when Denson-Dorman made a kill. The Cougars would tie it up at 22 getting kills from Russell and Sawin. A service error would end Charleston’s momentum, and a Kujundzic kill put the Gamecocks at match point. Denson-Dorman would get that last point, blocking a Cougar attack to give South Carolina the 25-22 set win. Kujundzic had six digs in the final frame.
In the second match, Clemson dominated Winthrop in a 3-0 sweep. Lia Proctor led the Tigers with 14 kills.
The night session starts with the 5 p.m. match between College of Charleston and Winthrop. The 7 p.m. contest pits South Carolina against Clemson. Both matches will be shown live on SC ETV.
