Gamecocks Start Weekend at Florida State

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. – South Carolina beach volleyball kicked off its weekend in the Unconquered Invitational at Florida State on Friday. The Gamecocks (8-11) went wire-to-wire with No. 8 Texas (19-8) and No. 15 FAU (13-8), losing 4-1 and 3-2, respectively, with six of the ten matches decided in third sets.

The morning opener against the Longhorns was the first-ever meeting between the two programs. With all five courts in action at one time, the Longhorns jumped out to a 2-0 lead with sweeps on courts three and four. The final three courts would go the distance, South Carolina rallied back with deuce-score second-set wins on courts two and five, but would drop both comeback efforts. The Gamecocks got on the board with a win on court one from Jolie Cranford and Julia Waugh, 21-15, 19-21, 23-21.

It was a milestone win for Cranford; the junior recorded her 50^th career victory. She is the 13^th Gamecock in program history to break 50 wins and has done it the hard way, winning her last three matches on court one against nationally ranked opponents. The win also moved Cranford up to a three-way tie for ninth in career wins versus ranked opponents, she now has 16 through two-plus seasons.

Game two against FAU would be an even closer affair but had a similar start. The Owls won in straight sets on courts two and three, winning both deuce sets between the two pairings. The final three courts would again to go three sets, and the Gamecocks started to work their way back into the dual. Lauren Lawson and Kennedy Westendorff got the team on the board with a 21-12, 19-21, 15-13 win on court five, and Sadie Nelson and Evie Ziffer won soon after across the facility on court four, 21-16, 19-21, 15-11 to even the team score. The dual came down to court one; Cranford and Waugh were up late in their third set but were tripped by errors late in a 15-13 loss.

UP NEXT
Day two of the Unconquered Invitational will feature two familiar conference foes. Saturday pits the Gamecocks against No. 10 LSU at 12:45 p.m. with a weekend finale against the host Seminoles at 3:15

For continued updates on the team, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter and Instagram.

RESULTS
No. 8 Texas 4, South Carolina 1

1. Jolie Cranford/Julia Waugh (SC) def. Chloe Charles/Eva Liisa Kuivonen (UT) 21-15, 19-21, 23-21
2. Katie Harshman/Emma Grace Robertson (UT) def. Rachel Hartmann/Riley Whitesides (SC) 21-14, 23-25, 15-12
3. Maddison Parmelly/Karin Zolnercikova (UT) def. Morgan Downs/VB Trost (SC) 23-21, 21-13
4. Macey Butler/Noa Sonneville (UT) def. Sadie Nelson/Evie Ziffer (SC) 21-9, 21-9
5. Vivian Johnson/Carys Patton (UT) def. Sophie Lyen/Kennedy Westendorff (SC) 21-19, 19-21, 15-8

Order of Finish: 4,3,2*,5,1
*- Deciding Point

No. 15 FAU 3, South Carolina 2

1. Ashleigh Adams/Marketa Svozilova (FAU) def. Jolie Cranford/Julia Waugh (SC) 21-23, 21-17, 15-13
2. Julie Honzovicova/Kate McLaughlin (FAU) def. Rachel Hartmann/Riley Whitesides (SC) 21-18, 25-23
3. Mia Scanlon/Klaire VanDeusen (FAU) def. Morgan Downs/VB Trost (SC) 22-20, 21-15
4. Sadie Nelson/Evie Ziffer (SC) def. Kendall Mignerey/Shayna Wolf (FAU) 21-16, 20-22, 15-11
5. Lauren Lawson/Kennedy Westendorff (SC) def. Cameron Knifton/Maddie Sides (FAU) 21-12, 19-21, 15-13

Order of Finish: 2,3,5,4,1*
*- Deciding Point