Oct. 27, 2013
| Highlights |
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Senior outside hitter Juliette Thévenin posted her 1,500th career kill on Sunday against Auburn, but the Tigers claimed the match, winning in three sets by the scores of 25-22, 25-22 and 25-23 in front of a crowd of 1,007 at the Volleyball Competition Facility.
With the loss the Gamecocks are now 11-11 on the season and 3-7 in the SEC. Auburn improves its record to 13-8 overall and 4-5 in league play.
Thévenin, who finished with a match-high 15 kills and 12 digs, reached the milestone with her eighth kill of the match in the second set. She now has 1,507 kills for her career, which ranks third all-time at South Carolina.
Sophomore middle blocker Darian Dozier added 10 kills and a pair of block assists for the Gamecocks, while freshman middle blocker Jacqy Angermiller and sophomore Sarah Blomgren contributed seven kills apiece. Angermiller led the way defensively with four block assists. Sophomore setter Kellie McNeil distributed 34 assists and pitched in three kills, six digs and three blocks, and junior libero Michaela Christiaansen collected a match-high 16 digs.
Auburn out-hit the Gamecocks .228-.216 and held a small advantage in kills (46-43) and digs (52-51). Senior outside hitter Katherine Culwell paced the Tigers with a double-double, recording 12 kills and 12 digs, while senior outside hitter Kathia Rud also had a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. Middle blocker Camila Jersonsky also had 10 kills. Sophomore setter Alyssa Ivey finished with a team-high 23 assists, and freshman middle Emily Klitzke recorded a match-high five blocks in the win.
The Gamecocks took advantage of three Auburn attack errors early in the first set to build a 4-1 lead, but the Tigers went on a 12-4 run capped by a South Carolina attack error to build a 13-8 advantage. South Carolina wouldn’t go down without a fight as it regained the lead late in the set at 18-17 on a block by Dozier and Thévenin. The teams then played through four ties before Auburn took the lead for good at 22-21 on a Gamecock attack error on its way to claiming a 25-22 win.
South Carolina stormed out to a 10-5 lead in the second set behind two kills apiece from Thévenin and Angermiller. However, Auburn answered with another run, outscoring the Gamecocks 10-4 to take a 15-14 lead on a kill by Rud. South Carolina pulled to within one late in the set at 23-22 on a Dozier kill, but the Tigers scored the next two points to win the set and take a 2-0 lead.
Auburn jumped out to an 11-5 lead in the third set, but South Carolina settled down and made a run at the Tigers, outscoring them 14-8 to come back and tie the match at 19-19. Culwell responded with a kill to give Auburn the lead for good at 20-19, as the Tigers went on to win the set 25-23 to clinch the match.
South Carolina will take a break from conference play on Wednesday as it is set to host Coastal Carolina at the Volleyball Competition Facility. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
