Beach Volleyball Heads to the Palmetto Coast for Weekend Tournament
The Gamecocks play Friday and Saturday at Coastal Carolina
CONWAY, S.C. – After opening the season with a pair of wins over top-15-ranked opponents last weekend, South Carolina beach volleyball heads east for the Coastal Carolina Invitational. The two-day tournament runs Friday and Saturday, featuring duals with conference rivals UNCW and College of Charleston, a rematch with No. 16 Stetson and a dual against the host Chanticleers.
In the team’s first tournament of 2021, the Stetson Spring Fling, South Carolina claimed victories over No. 13 FIU and No. 11 Stetson but dropped tight 3-2 decisions to No. 12 FAU and No. 15 TCU. The Gamecocks moved up to 13th in the country in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association top-20 poll. Highlighting the opening weekend was the play of Jess Vastine and Jordan Smith, who went 4-0 at the number four pairing with all four wins coming against nationally ranked opponents. For Vastine, her final win of the weekend gave her 30 for her career. Another major milestone reached was by Katie Smith, who claimed the program’s record for career wins over ranked opponents when she and teammate Skylar Allen defeated No. 13 FIU in straight sets on Feb. 27.
This weekend, the team leads things off against UNCW. The Seahawks are 1-3 after their first tournament, beating Erskine but losing to Mercer, College of Charleston and North Florida; they face the Gamecocks first thing Friday morning with an 10 a.m. first serve. Closing the first day’s action will be a 2 p.m. dual against the host Chanticleers, who have yet to compete this spring. On Saturday, South Carolina leads things off with an 8 a.m. rematch against Stetson, a team the Gamecocks were able to upset last Sunday in the Hatters home tournament by a 3-2 score. Ending the weekend will be a 2 p.m. dual against College of Charleston, which went 3-1 at the UNF Beach Invitational. The Cougars beat UNCW, Erskine and Mercer but lost to the host Ospreys by a 4-1 score.
Live results will be available throughout the weekend at Coastal Carolina, and fans can also follow @GamecockBeachVB for updates.
