Sept. 2, 2012
FAIRFAX, Va. – South Carolina (7-0) used a team approach to get past Navy (1-5) in three sets, 25-20, 25-21, 25-14, on Sunday morning on the final day of The Mason Inn Patriot Invitational.
Junior libero Paige Wheeler posted 14 digs to lead all players and added two aces, and she did that in two sets of work. Freshman outside hitter Maddie Frome tallied seven kills to lead South Carolina, while three Gamecocks all had two blocks.
Navy’s Carolyn Ewert and Erin Fortner compiled five kills apiece, while Christy Rapp and Star Steele had six digs each. Mallory Shelton had three aces for the Mids.
The Gamecocks used a steady approach in the first set, only three times allowing the Mids to post consecutive points. Senior outside hitter Christina Glover stood as one of four Gamecocks with two kills in the set, and her second closed out the frame at 25-20. Wheeler posted nine of her digs in the first frame.
South Carolina rode Frome and junior middle blocker Megan Kent to a 25-21 set-two win. Kent had four kills on seven swings, while Frome added five kills, five digs and a solo block in the frame. South Carolina’s defense suppressed Navy to a .000 hitting percentage, helped by Frome’s back-row work and junior Lindsey Craft’s six digs.
The balanced approach continued in the third set for the Gamecocks, taking the frame 25-14. Six different Gamecock had two or more kills, with freshman middle blocker Elizabeth Johnbull putting away three on three swings to lead the charge. A five-point stand on Wheeler’s serve broke open the set, making it 9-5. Glover finished it out with strong serving, as Frome ended the contest with her seventh kill. Navy hit .040 in the final frame.
The Mids won the aces battle 5-3, but the Gamecocks took the rest, including a 7-1 win in blocks.
