Oct. 23, 2008
COLUMBIA, S.C. – In the first meeting between the in-state schools, the Carolina Gamecocks dispatched of South Carolina State, 25-15, 25-9, 25-9, on Thursday evening in front of 247 fans at the Volleyball Competition Facility. The victory guarantees South Carolina of its first winning season in six years, moving the Gamecocks to 16-4 on the season, while the Bulldogs fall to 10-19.
South Carolina set a new team record with a .587 hitting percentage on the evening, bettering the old mark of .561 against Liberty on Sept. 1, 2000. Sophomore middle blocker Megan Laughlin also etched her name in the record books, hitting at a .733 clip on 11 kills to tie for second all-time for a single match. Junior outside hitter Ivana Kujundzic made 14 kills and served up four aces to lead both squads. Junior setter Bridget Denson-Dorman dished out 38 assists and had four kills and a match-high six digs. Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Lawing added eight kills and three aces, while redshirt senior Belita Salters added seven spikes. Jarne Gleaton had five kills for the Bulldogs.
The Gamecocks took the first set, 25-15, behind six kills from Kujundzic. South Carolina put together runs of seven, six and five points during the frame, holding a lead as large as 21-8 at one point. The Bulldogs did have a three-point run late, but an attacking error by SCSU ended the frame.
In the second set, the Carolina Gamecocks got out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back. Salters was perfect on four attacks, helping the squad hit .654 in the frame. Lawing added two of her aces in the 25-9 Gamecock set win.
Two Kujundzic aces capped a five-point run that put South Carolina up, 10-2, in the third set. The lead grew to 19-7 after another five-point string bookended by Kujundzic kills. And the Subotica, Serbia, junior closed out the frame at 25-9 with her final ace of the match.
South Carolina’s defense held the Bulldogs to a .079 hitting percentage and handed the visitors their worst set losses of the season, as the final two sets were the only times South Carolina State has been held to single digits.
The Garnet and Black hit the road to face Georgia on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Ramsey Student Center.
