Oct. 22, 2010

Final Stats

by Koby Padgett
Assistant Media Relations Director

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Behind its best offensive output in Southeastern Conference play this season, South Carolina (5-15, 2-8 SEC) downed Kentucky (11-10, 5-6 SEC) in three sets on Friday night, 25-21, 25-23, 29-27, at the Volleyball Competition Facility.

Outside hitters Olivia Ryder and Juliette Thévenin led the Gamecock attack. The redshirt sophomore Ryder posted 15 kills and a .500 hitting percentage, both career bests, while the freshman Thévenin led everyone with her 17 kills. Junior middle blocker Teresa Stenlund, back in the lineup after missing the previous weekend due to an injury suffered in practice, hit .316 with eight kills. Senior libero Hannah Lawing had 18 digs, while setters Taylor Bruns and Jordan Bradosky both had 17 assists. Sophomore middle blocker Brandi Byers posted five blocks on the night. Blaire Hiler led the Wildcats with 12 kills, while Stephanie Klefot and Lauren Rapp had 19 and 10 digs, respectively.

Ryder’s offense led the Gamecocks to the first-set win. South Carolina took the 10-5 advantage after taking seven of eight points, getting a pair of blocks to start the sequence. The Wildcats got within one at 12-11 after a four-point stand that closed on Klefot’s ace, but the Gamecocks responded with a six-point skein, getting a pair of kills from both Ryder and Thévenin to make it 18-11. The Wildcats drew within three, but a Kentucky attack error ended the frame at 25-21. Ryder had six kills, while Thévenin added four.

Thévenin’s strong serving got the Gamecocks out to a 6-3 lead in the second set, and South Carolina held an advantage until a three-point string on Klefot’s serve tied the match at 19-19. The teams traded points until an attack error by the Wildcats gave the Gamecocks the two-point lead they needed. Hiler made it 24-23 with her swing, but Ryder answered with a kill to end the frame at 25-23. Thévenin had seven kills, while Stenlund tallied five in the second. Lawing added eight digs as well.

The Gamecocks held the lead again for most of the third set until Kentucky tied things at 20-20 on a South Carolina attack error. The teams traded kills twice before Ann Armes gave Kentucky its first lead of the set. The Gamecocks responded, first seeing Ryder get a kill before Bruns, who stayed in while fellow setter Bradosky came back on with the next-to-last sub of the set, landed a kill to put Carolina up, 24-23. The Wildcats came right back, getting a kill from Rapp before Christine Hartmann got a dump to take back the advantage at 25-24. Twice more the teams traded side outs until Thévenin got a kill to start the Gamecocks on their way. Byers posted her only kill of the match next, smashing an overpass to the floor to give South Carolina its second match point of the night. This time it did not slip away, as Thévenin put away her sixth kill of the set to end it at 29-27. Ryder had seven kills without an error in that final frame, as the Gamecocks hit .300 and added five blocks.

South Carolina posted its highest hitting percentage in conference play this season to win the battle, .256-.215. The Gamecocks also won the kills, assists, aces and blocks, but Kentucky recorded one more dig than South Carolina, 57-56.

No. 21 Tennessee comes to town on Sunday, Oct. 24 for a 1:30 p.m. match against the Gamecocks at the Volleyball Competition Facility.