South Carolina Falls at No. 4 Florida, 3-0
Oct. 27, 2017
FLORIDA 3, SOUTH CAROLINA 0
GAINESVILLE, FLA. – South Carolina dropped a 3-0 decision to No. 4 Florida in Gainesville Friday night, 25-17, 25-16, 25-17. The Gamecocks are now 10-11 this season, 3-6 in SEC play, while the Gators now stand at 17-1 (9-1 SEC). Abreia Epps led the team with seven kills in the match.
SET 1: The Gamecocks scrapped early and often in the opening game, but were unable to find holes in the Gator block. Florida broke away at the midway point in the set for the 25-17 win, holding South Carolina to a .038 success rate on attacks. Aubrey Ezell spearheaded the defense with some acrobatic digs, and finished with eight in the game. Following a Claire Edwards solo block, Carolina trailed just 12-11, but a 4-0 run for UF put them back in the driver’s seat for the home stretch.
SET 2: South Carolina took advantage of Florida miscues to start the set to keep pace, as the Gators had a pair of service aces and four unforced attack errors among the Gamecocks’ first 12 points. A 4-0 run out of the media timeout expanded Florida’s lead from 14-12 to 18-12, and the home side rode the momentum to a 25-16 win.
SET 3: Florida’s defense stifled South Carolina throughout the final set, holding the Gamecocks to a .048 hitting percentage in the game despite getting five of their seven kills down the home stretch without an error. Florida led wire-to-wire in the set and closed out the sweep with a 25-17 win.
Stat of the Match
The Gamecocks were unable to manage Florida’s size at the net, as the Gators out-hit them .296 to .066 and out-blocked Carolina 10-5, helping them sideout at 73 percent. South Carolina’s hitting percentage was its lowest of the season.
Up Next
The Gamecocks return home for a Sunday rematch against Auburn. South Carolina won 3-1 at Auburn on Oct. 18, snapping a four-game losing streak. First serve on Sunday will be at at 1:30 p.m. and airs live on Watch ESPN.
