Sept. 27, 2015
BATON ROUGE, LA. – The South Carolina volleyball team closed its first weekend of SEC competition Sunday afternoon, losing at LSU 3-0. Attack errors held the Gamecocks (7-8, 0-2 SEC) back from holding onto key rallies, and the Tigers (5-8, 1-1) capitalized behind 14 kills from outside hitter Gina Tillis.
Sarah Blomgren led Carolina with eight kills, it was just the second time all season that the team’s leading attacker finished with single-digit kills. Darian Dozier added six kills and a team-leading .250 hitting percentage; the Gamecocks combined to hit .073 in the match.
After struggling offensively in the first two sets, Carolina’s best chance at working its way back into the match came in the third, when it took the early 12-7 lead. Of the six kills in that stretch, four different Gamecocks contributed. The home side would take back control on the heels of an 8-0 run for a 15-12 lead, and Carolina would get no closer than two points for the remainder of the set.
Match Changer
Carolina raced out to a 12-7 lead in the third set, but the Tigers countered with an 8-0 run and never trailed again in the match.
Key Stat
The Gamecocks had just three blocks as a team in the match, which tied a season-low (tied with three vs. Wofford). LSU had nine blocks total. Carolina also committed 22 attack errors in the match.
Notable
• LSU now has won five straight in the series and 12 of 13. The Gamecocks have not won in Baton Rouge since 2003.
• Defensive specialist Emma Lock finished with a team-high 11 digs. It was the freshman’s second double-digit dig game so far this season, behind only her 19 against Western Michigan (9/12).
• Freshman setter Aubrey Ezell finished with 11 digs and added 19 assists. It was her tenth double-double of the season, putting her on the cusp of entering the top 25 for most double-doubles in a single season.
Up Next
The conference season continues on the road next weekend as the team travels to the Magnolia State for two matches. First up is Ole Miss on Friday at 7:30, then it heads to Mississippi State Sunday for a noon match that will air on the SEC Network.
