Sept. 16, 2017
CLEMSON, S.C. – South Carolina fell in four sets to Texas Tech Saturday morning at the Clemson Challenge, 25-21, 25-27, 16-25, 23-25. Claire Edwards had a career day with 13 kills, five digs and six block assists, but the Gamecocks as a team hit just .162. The Red Raiders improve to 10-2 this season, while Carolina is now 6-5.
SET 1: The Gamecocks were able to stifle the Raiders in the first game to take the early advantage, with Aubrey Ezell and Edward putting up impressive numbers. Thanks to an incredible 13 digs from Ezell in the set, Texas Tech hit -.023 and had just eight kills. Edwards powered the offense with five kills on 11 swings. The Gamecocks hit just .146 in the set, though, and Tech was able to take a 20-17 lead late before Edwards took control. She personally had two kills and a block during a 6-0 run that put Carolina ahead for good in the 25-21 win.
SET 2: The team squandered a major chance at seizing momentum, letting a big lead slip away in game two. Carolina built a 10-5 lead thanks to three more kills from Edwards, and maintained a comfortable advantage up to 20-16 before Tech started its comeback and cut it down to 22-21. Despite that, the Gamecocks still were serving for the set at 24-22 and 24-23 but could not close it out. There would only be two lead changes in the entire set, but they came when it mattered most, the Red Raiders took it 27-25 to even the match.
SET 3: Texas Tech dominated the third set thanks to a key run midway through. The Raiders led 12-8 but a 3-0 run cut it back to one, but Tech countered with a 9-0 run from there to make it 21-11. The Gamecocks were able to climb back late, but dropped behind 2-1 with the 25-16 loss.
SET 4: The final set would be the most heated, as the lead would change five times with 13 ties mixed in. Tech broke away from an early deadlock to make it 18-15, but a service ace from Edwards capped a 3-0 burst that tied it back up. The Red Raiders found themselves ahead more often than Carolina in the final half of the set, but the Gamecocks were always able to keep it tight. A dump kill from Courtney Koehler made it a 24-23 deficit late in the set, but a missed net violation on Tech on the following point denied Carolina a chance to force a fifth game.
Stat of the Match
Texas Tech’s size at the net slowed down Carolina’s attack, as the Red Raiders’ 13 blocks led to a .162 hitting percentage for the Gamecocks. It’s their lowest success rate this season, and the most blocks by an opponent since Georgia had 17 on Nov. 23, 2014.
Notable
- Edwards’ 13 kills set a new career high, as did her five digs and six block assists.
- Alicia Starr’s 11 digs and three assists were a new personal best.
- Thanks in part to her 13 digs in the first set, Aubrey Ezell finished with 24 digs, a new career high. She now has 15 or more digs in seven of the last eight matches.
Up Next
Tonight at 7 p.m. brings the annual rivalry match with the host Clemson Tigers. The meeting will air online through WatchESPN.
