Sept. 20, 2009
UNIVERSITY, Miss. – With three players in double figures in both digs and kills, the South Carolina Gamecocks returned to the win column with a sweep at Ole Miss, 31-29, 25-22, 25-17, in the Gillom Sports Center.
Junior Hannah Lawing posted a double-double with a match-best 14 kills and 12 digs. South Carolina (9-2, 1-1 SEC) middle blockers Megan Laughlin and Teresa Stenlund both had double-digit kills, with Stenlund setting a career-high with 11 and Laughlin adding 10. Senior libero Sarah Cline had a match-best 15 digs, while junior Jordan Bradosky added 12. Senior Bridget Denson-Dorman dished out 39 assists while adding seven digs, two blocks and two kills. For the Rebels (6-6, 0-2 SEC), Caitlin Weiss had 10 kills, while Morgan Springer contributed 12 digs. Regina Thomas led everyone with nine blocks while adding nine kills.
An evenly played first set saw the Rebels gain a 15-12 advantage after taking six of seven points, which included two overpass kills by Thomas. However, the Gamecocks answered with a five-point string that included an ace and a back-row kill by Lawing. Ole Miss tied it again at after a tip from Allegra Wells and a South Carolina set error before taking the advantage at 20-19 on a Weiss kill and an Catherine Heck ace. The Gamecocks responded and retook the advantage at 22-21 after a Rebel block error and a Meredith Moorhead kill. But out of the Rebel timeout, the Gamecocks committed an attacking error before Katie Norris got a kill on an overpass to swing the lead back to Ole Miss at 23-22 and force the final South Carolina timeout. But another set error put the Rebels to set point. Moorhead staved off the first chance, and Stenlund tied up the match at 24-24 with her kill. The teams traded points until a Christina Glover kill and a block from Laughlin and Denson-Dorman gave South Carolina the advantage at 27-26. But it would be on the fifth set point chance before the Gamecocks would end it, as Lawing hit one down the line that the Rebels could not dig to end the first at 31-29. The Gamecocks got back to their defensive ways, making 19 digs to 12 for the Rebels. Both Lawing and Stenlund had five kills in the frame.
The Rebels got an early 7-5 lead in the second after a four-point run that included a pair of blocks from Thomas and Wells. The lead grew to three after a Carolina attack error and a Norris kill. South Carolina posted a six-point run to take a 17-14 lead, getting a pair of Cline aces during the stretch. Ole Miss came back with a four-point run behind two Thomas kills and a block from the sophomore and Weiss. Denson-Dorman ended the run with a successful dump, but the Rebels got the two-point advantage at 20-18 after kills by Thomas and Weiss. After trading sideouts for a bit, South Carolina got to set point at 24-22 after a four-point run that was bookended by Lawing kills. The Rebels tried to break the Gamecocks’ momentum after a timeout, but Lawing ended the frame off her cross-court swing.
The Gamecocks came out of the break on a roll, taking a 5-0 lead quickly to cause Mississippi use its first timeout. Lawing had two kills while Moorhead and Stenlund both had one to go with a Laughlin ace. Ole Miss called its final timeout after Laughin had back-to-back kills, including one on an overpass, to make it 14-7. South Carolina stretched the lead to 17-8 on a three-point run helped by kills from Glover and Lawing. The Gamecocks wrapped it up at 25-17 after a Laughlin smash, her sixth kill of the frame. South Carolina hit .304 in the final set.
The Gamecocks rebounded to win all stat categories except for blocks, including taking a 15-dig advantage.
South Carolina opens a five-match home stand on Friday, Oct. 25, against Alabama. Match time at the Volleyball Competition Facility is set for 7 p.m. EDT
