Gamecock Beach Volleyball Opens Weekend of Duals With Two Wins
The team swept Southern Miss and edged out No. 19 Georgia State on Friday
ATLANTA, GA. – Gamecock beach volleyball (16-7, 8-5 CCSA) finished day one of the Georgia State Diggin’ Duals with two wins Friday afternoon. South Carolina swept Southern Miss (7-18) in the opener and then fended off the host Panthers (18-11) by a 3-2 margin. The wins today mark the fifth full season in a row where the program has 15 or more wins and the eight conference wins now is the third-highest total since joining the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association back in 2016.
The Gamecocks opened with a 5-0 win over Southern Miss on Friday. Alyssa Keller and Hannah Mackenhausen notched the first team point with a 21-13, 21-11 win in the fourth pairing, and Jess Vastine and Jordan Smith provided the clinching third point with their 11th win of the season as a pair a 21-10, 21-17 win at number three. Skylar Allen and Katie Smith pulled out a 21-15, 16-21, 15-13 win in the top flight to clinch the sweep, a moral victory as well after the Golden Eagles won the number one pairing in both of the prior duals so far this season.
It was then a rematch with long-time rival Georgia State to end the day. The two sides faced off previously in the final dual of Carolina’s Gamecock Grand Slam on March 28, a 3-2 victory for the Gamecocks that came down to the final court. It was almost an identical story on Friday. South Carolina picked up a key win in the opening wave, as Morgyn Greer and Carly Schnieder overcame a loss in their opening set on court five to win 12-21, 21-19, 15-9. That was a critical point at the time, as Georgia State opened the dual with a sweep of the fourth flight and could have put an early 2-0 squeeze on the Gamecocks.
With the team score instead even at 1-1, South Carolina took momentum early in the second wave of matches after a decisive 21-9, 21-15 sweep in the number one pairing for Allen and Smith. Georgia State countered with a sweep of number two, leaving it up to Vastine and Smith on court three for the dual. As they did less than two weeks prior, the duo brought home the team victory with a three-set decision, winning 21-15, 13-21, 15-11 on court three.
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks will run it back on day two with rematches against both of Friday’s opponents. Saturday features a 10 a.m. dual with Southern Miss before the weekend wraps up with a 3 p.m. rematch against the Panthers.
RESULTS
No. 18 South Carolina 5, Southern Miss 0
1. Skylar Allen/Katie Smith (SC) def. Kylie Grandy/Abbey Wilson (USM) 21-15, 16-21, 15-13
2. Madison Brabham/Avery Davis (SC) def. Valeria S. Papakyria/Haley Hop (USM) 21-15, 21-19
3. Jess Vastine/Jordan Smith (SC) def. Breleigh Favre/Kellie Garraway (USM) 21-10, 21-17
4. Alyssa Keller/Hannah Mackenhausen (SC) def. Hallie Phelan/Olivia Hepworth (USM) 21-13, 21-11
5. Morgyn Greer/Carly Schnieder (SC) def. Kaylie Beck/Madison Lawler (USM) 21-14, 21-15
Ex. Kaeli Crews/Abby Carroll (SC) def. Kai Norman/Melanie Miller (USM) 21-9, 21-15
Order of finish: 4,5,3*,2,1
*-Deciding Point
No. 18 South Carolina 3, No. 19 Georgia State 2
1. Skylar Allen/Katie Smith (SC) def. Eden Hawes/Maddy Delmonte (GSU) 21-9, 21-15
2. Kate Novack/Kelly Dorn (GSU) def. Madison Brabham/Avery Davis (SC) 21-12, 21-19
3. Jess Vastine/Jordan Smith (SC) def. Becky Tresham/Elise Saga (GSU) 21-15, 13-21, 15-11
4. Olivia Stasevich/Mattie Johnson (GSU) def. Alyssa Keller/Hannah Mackenhausen (SC) 21-17, 21-19
5. Morgyn Greer/Carly Schnieder (SC) def. Angel Ferary/Bella Ferary (GSU) 13-21, 21-19, 15-9
Ex. Sophie Manson/Sophie Bengoechea (SC) def. Bailey Hatchett/Kaylee McClure (GSU) 21-17, 21-15
Order of finish: 4,5,1,2,3*
