Gamecocks Drop Series Opener to Alabama
The two teams play again tomorrow at noon
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina lost in straight sets at home to Alabama on Saturday afternoon, the team’s fifth loss in a row. The Gamecocks are now 11-8 overall and 3-6 in conference play. Lauren McCutcheon led the team with 11 kills and hit .435 for the match, but the offense recorded 17 errors and Alabama hit .385 as a team.
SET ONE: In the opening game, the Gamecock offense was wild on the attack, committing six unforced errors in a 25-19 loss. Alabama had a 14-10 kill advantage and committed just one unforced error. The Tide also enjoyed an advantage behind the service line, racking up three aces. The visitors used a 4-0 run early to build an 8-3 advantage and never trailed after the Gamecocks tallied the first point of the set. McCutcheon and Ellie Ruprich each had three kills to lead the team, but the other three attackers combined for four kills and five errors on 22 swings for South Carolina.
SET TWO: The Gamecock offense rallied back for a solid second set, but Alabama’s offense raised its game as well with 16 kills and a .367 hitting percentage for a 25-22 win that gave it a 2-0 lead. Seven different players registered a kill for South Carolina, led by six from Mikayla Robinson, but the Tide mounted a big run mid way through the set to take control again. With the Gamecocks up 8-7, Alabama won 11 of the next 15 points and never trailed again.
SET THREE: The final set was an offensive slugfest, with the two sides combining for 32 kills. Alabama had just one error on its 26 total swings, racking up 15 kills to clinch the sweep with a 25-22 score. South Carolina held a 17-15 advantage in kills, but had five more unforced errors on the attack compared to just one for the Crimson Tide. Kennedy Muckelroy of Alabama was nearly unstoppable in the third, recording eight kills on 11 swings. South Carolina countered with a one-two punch of McCutcheon and Kyla Manning, who accounted for 11 of the team’s 17 kills, but the Gamecocks were unable to string enough points together to erase an early advantage for Alabama.
UP NEXT
The two teams meet again Sunday, first serve is scheduled for 12 p.m. Jenny Hazelwood and Matt Schick will call the game on the SEC Network.
