Gamecocks Bow Out of CCSA Championship in the Quarterfinal Round
The team finishes with its fourth-consecutive 20-win season
EMERSON, GA. – South Carolina beach volleyball’s season ended Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association tournament. The Gamecocks secured their 20th win of the season in the morning session to make it into bracket play, beating Southern Miss 4-1, but lost to No. 9 FIU (17-10) Saturday afternoon, 4-1.
The win over the Golden Eagles (11-21) assured that South Carolina (20-11) clinched its fourth-consecutive season with at least 20 wins. Sweeps from Jess Vastine and Whitley Ballard at number four and Carly Schnieder and Lauryn Gillis at number five put the team up 2-1, and a 21-11, 24-22 win from Franky Harrison and Hannah Edelman clinched the team victory on court three. Lydia Dimke and Katie Smith wrapped up the team’s final point with a 21-11, 19-21, 15-12 win at the number two pairing.
Schnieder and Gillis got the Gamecocks the first point in the dual with FIU, but the team would not be able to convert in tight decisions in the other four positions against the Panthers. In the second, third and fourth positions, four sets would be decided by the minimum two points and three of those went beyond 21 points – all four of those sets went to the Panthers and they would sweep the top four courts for the 4-1 final.
Four Gamecocks ended their seasons with 20 or more wins as individuals – Smith and Dimke went 23-8 together for the year while Harrison and Edelman finish 7-2 together as a pair but each finished with 20 wins as individuals. Dimke and Smith’s 23 wins together are the third most in a single season in program history, and the pair have six more wins this season than any other number two pairing in program history. Shannon Williams ends her four-year career in third place for career starts (128) and second in total wins (76). Smith will enter her senior year with 64 career wins, already the fourth most in program history with a highly anticipated 2020 season to come. Fellow juniors Harrison (51 wins) and Schnieder (62 wins) are also aiming to rewrite the record books next spring, as part of a team that plans to return six members of Saturday’s starting lineup next season.
RESULTS
#13 South Carolina 4, Southern Mississippi 1
1. Grandy/Wilson (USM) def. Cadie Bates/Shannon Williams (SC), 21-16, 21-16
2. Katie Smith/Lydia Dimke (SC) def. Matsumoto/Legg (USM), 21-11, 19-21, 15-12
3. Hannah Edelman/Franky Harrison (SC) def. Favre/Garraway (USM), 21-11, 24-22
4. Jess Vastine/Whitley Ballard (SC) def. Blackdeer/Hepworth (USM), 21-16, 21-16
5. Lauryn Gillis/Carly Schnieder (SC) def. Austin/Lawler (USM), 21-12, 21-17
Order of Finish: (4,1,5,3,2)
#9 FIU 4, #13 South Carolina 1
1. Frasca/Bianchin (FIU) def. Cadie Bates/Shannon Williams (SC), 21-16, 21-14
2. Klinger/Klinger (FIU) def. Katie Smith/Lydia Dimke (SC), 22-20, 21-18
3. Denney/Hughes (FIU) def. Hannah Edelman/Franky Harrison (SC), 22-20, 21-19
4. Bernier/Zembyla (FIU) def. Jess Vastine/Whitley Ballard (SC), 21-13, 24-22
5. Lauryn Gillis/Carly Schnieder (SC) def. Freisen/Thelle (FIU), 21-7, 21-13
Order of finish: (5,1,2,4,3)
