Gamecocks Drop 3-2 Decision to Mercer
March 11, 2014
ATLANTA, Ga. — The South Carolina sand volleyball team fought back and forth with Mercer on Tuesday before falling to the Bears 3-2 in its opening match of the Georgia State Diggin’ Duals at the GSU Sand Volleyball Complex.
With the loss the Gamecocks drop to 2-3 on the season. Mercer improves its record to 2-0.
After falling behind 2-0 early in the dual by losing its No. 4 and No. 5 pairs matches, Carolina responded to tie the dual at 2-2 by winning at No. 2 and No. 3. The Gamecocks’ No. 2 pair of Sarah Blomgren and Mikaela Christiaansen went three sets with Mercer’s Jamie Duffy and Emma Peel, winning by the scores of 21-12, 10-21 and 17-15. Jordan Loney and Jade Vitt then tied the dual at 2-2, winning their No. 3 pairs match with Mercer’s Zoe Becton and Emily Rochefort by the scores of 21-18 and 28-26.
The dual came down to the No. 1 pairs matchup between South Carolina’s Paige Wheeler and Megan Kent and the Bears’ Victoria Penrod and Natalie Braun. Wheeler and Kent edged the Mercer duo 23-21 in the first set, but Duffy and Peel evened the match with a 21-16 win in set two. The third set went back and forth, with Wheeler and Kent taking a 6-4 lead early. Mercer’s pair answered with a 5-3 run to tie it at 9-9 and eventually took the lead for good at 12-11 on its way to a 15-12 win to clinch the dual.
Early in the match, Carolina’s KoKo Atoa-Williams and Litsa Darby dropped a 2-0 decision to Mercer’s Erin Brett and Hannah Sorensen on court No. 4 by the scores of 21-16 and 26-24. In the No. 5 pairs match, Erin Neuenfeldt and Chynna Ratner lost to the Bears’ Caroline Carlton and Demi-Shay Watchorn, 21-16 and 21-14.
In an exhibition match, South Carolina’s Haley Guyton and Morgan LaVigne split two sets with Mercer’s Gretja Otten and Avery Hoven, losing the first set 21-18 before winning the second set 21-19.
The Gamecocks will be back in action later this afternoon against Georgia State. The match is slated to begin at approximately 5 p.m.
Mercer 3, South Carolina 2
No. 1 Victoria Penrod/Natalie Braun (MU) def. Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent 21-23, 21-16, 15-12
No. 2 Sarah Blomgren/Mikaela Christiaansen (SC) def. Jamie Duffy/Emma Peel (MU) 21-12, 10-21, 17-15
No. 3 Jordan Loney/Jade Vitt (SC) def. Zoe Becton/Emily Rochefort (MU) 21-18, 28-26
No. 4 Erin Brett/Hannah Sorensen (MU) def. KoKo Atoa-Williams/Litsa Darby 21-16, 26-24
No. 5 Caroline Carlton/Demi-Shay Watchorn (MU) def. Erin Neuenfeldt/Chynna Ratner 21-16, 21-14
Exhibition
Haley Guyton/Morgan LaVigne (SC) split with Gretja Otten/Avery Hoven (MU) 18-21, 21-19
