Oct. 15, 2017
OLE MISS 3, SOUTH CAROLINA 0
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina volleyball lost a 3-0 decision to Ole Miss at the Carolina Volleyball Center Sunday afternoon. The Gamecocks fell, 25-21, 25-22, 25-19 to the Rebels to set their record at 9-9 overall and 2-4 in the SEC.
SET 1: The two teams shared the same hitting percentage in the opening game (.152), but it was behind the service line that Ole Miss found the key to victory in the 25-21 win. Four aces proved to be the difference, including one that came during an early 6-1 run that helped the visitors break loose for a 13-8 lead. The Rebs would not trail again in the set. Aubrey Ezell popped up eight digs in the game, and Mikayla Shields led the offense with four kills.
SET 2: Another run early in set two cracked open the lead for Ole Miss, and the visitors took a 2-0 lead behind a 25-22 win. South Carolina used a 5-2 run to knot the score at 14-all, but were never able to take the lead down the stretch. Abreia Epps and Mikayla Robinson enjoyed solid games with four kills apiece, but the rest of the offense combined to hit -.069.
SET 3: The Gamecocks snatched an early lead 4-0 run behind the serve of Ezell, forcing an Ole Miss timeout with a 13-10 advantage. The Rebels came out of their timeout strong, and used a 7-2 run to flip the score in their favor and force the Gamecocks to call time to regroup. After a pair of points for Carolina tied it back up at 17, Ole Miss ended the set on a 8-2 run to close up the sweep.
Stat of the Match
South Carolina’s offense lowered its errors from Friday night’s loss at Arkansas, but Ole Miss – the SEC leader in digs ââ’¬” were able to pass up 50 balls over the three sets to limit the Gamecocks’ hitting percentage to just .168. The previous high for opponent digs in a three-set match this season was 40, by North Florida.
Notable
- Claire Edwards’ three solo blocks are a new career best, and are the most in a single match for Carolina this season.
- The defense’s 41 digs are the second most in a three-set match this season. Aubrey Ezell led the way with 17.
- Mikayla Robinson’s 10 kills marked the fifth double-digit effort of the season, her second in SEC play.
- After averaging just 1.33 kills per set in her first seven matches of the season, Abreia Epps is at 2.00 per set with at least five kills in the last five matches.
Up Next
The Gamecocks have a busy week ahead, starting with a match at Auburn on Wednesday night that airs nationally on the SEC Network. After that, the team will return to the Heart of Dixie for a Sunday afternoon meeting with Alabama.
