Gamecocks Host Palmetto Invitational for Final Weekend of the Regular Season
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina beach volleyball returns home for the first time in over a month, closing out the regular season on Wheeler Beach with the Palmetto Invitational Friday and Saturday, April 18-19. The Gamecocks (11-14) will take on No. 20 FGCU (18-10) and No. 15 Georgia State (17-13) on Friday, and close the season on Saturday against Jacksonville (11-17) and Coastal Carolina (17-11).
In their last competition, the Gamecocks went 3-1 at the Battle of the Bayou, hosted by LSU. The team’s final home weekend begins Friday, April 18 at 11 a.m. against FGCU, the Friday finale at 5:30 p.m. against Georgia State will be the program’s senior night, honoring six graduates: Jordan Benoit, Hanna Bissler, Rachel Hartmann, Kristen Schenck, Kennedy Westendorff and Riley Whitesides.
This spring, attendance at home matches at Wheeler Beach is again free and open to the general public. Please continue to follow the athletics department’s clear bag policy. Fan entrance is only permitted on the north side of the facility through the main gate and only participating teams and game-day personnel are permitted on the sand surface. On Friday, the Dodie Anderson Academic Enrichment Center garage will not be open, so fans will be subject to street parking. On Saturday, the garage is open for fans to park in for $10.
The South Carolina Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be out around campus this weekend for its Cocky Cares initiative, bringing donation bins to help collect toiletries for the community. Drop-off locations will be available at Wheeler Beach for both the 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. duals on Friday and the 5 p.m. dual on Saturday.
SCOUTING THE WEEKEND FIELD
COASTAL CAROLINA (17-11)
All-time Series: South Carolina leads the series, 13-2 (since 2016)
Last Meeting: Coastal Carolina won, 4-1 (3/15/25)
Series Note: The Chanticleers are on a two-game win streak after defeating the Gamecocks in the previous home tournament on March 15. Coastal won three-set matches on the top three courts to pull out the win.
FGCU (18-10)
All-time Series: South Carolina leads the series, 7-2 (since 2016)
Last Meeting :The Gamecocks won, 3-2 (3/7/25)
Series Note: Three of the last four meetings have been decided by a 3-2 score. South Carolina edged out the Eagles by a 3-2 score on the road in Fort Myers on March 7.
GEORGIA STATE (17-13)
All-time Series: South Carolina trails, 13-7 (since 2014)
Last Meeting: Gamecocks lost, 3-2, at home (4/20/24)
Series Note: Georgia State brings a six-game win streak into the weekend, four of those losses have been by a 3-2 margin.
JACKSONVILLE (11-17)
All-time Series: South Carolina leads the series, 8-2 (since 2016)
Last Meeting :The Gamecocks won, 4-1 (2/23/25)
Series Note: The two teams met in the opening weekend of the spring, South Carolina won three three-set matches over the Dolphins to get the road victory.
ALL-TIME RECORDS
- South Carolina holds a 204-136 (.600) all-time program record, dating back to 2014.
- The Gamecocks joined the CCSA for volleyball in 2016, and have an all-time conference record of 46-43 (.517).
- In matches at Wheeler Beach, Carolina is 94-31 (.752), including a 19-9 record against CCSA conference opponents.
- Moritz Moritz is in his 12th season as head coach of the Gamecocks, spanning the entire young history of the program. He earned his 200th career win vs. Eastern Kentucky on March 16, 2025.
- South Carolina has two postseason tournament appearances, making the NCAA eight-team field in 2017 and 2018.
- The Gamecocks have two all-americans in program history: Katie Smith (2021) and Skylar Allen (2021 and 2023).
