Great Way to Celebrate 50 Years of Varsity Women's Sports at South Carolina
This past year, South Carolina celebrated fifty years of women’s varsity sports in Gamecock Athletics. It’s only appropriate that the women’s programs at South Carolina had a banner year across the board, winning four Southeastern Conference team titles, numerous individual championships, and 10 of 11 teams reached the postseason beyond their conference tournaments. Read some of the sport by sport highlights below and check out this FREE VIDEO from Gamecocks+ as well to hear from some of the pioneers of women’s athletics at South Carolina.
Last fall, the volleyball team reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last seven years and earned a pair of wins against ranked opponents along the way. The Gamecocks were led by graduate student left side hitter Riley Whitesides, who earned First Team All-SEC as well as All-Region honors, and first-year libero Victoria Harris, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.
Among the team highlights, South Carolina defeated nationally ranked Florida twice, including a win in Gainesville for the first time since 1986. After knocking off the Gators in five sets later in the year in Columbia, it was the first time since 1986 that the Gamecocks had defeated Florida in consecutive meetings.
The cross country team also ran in the NCAA Regional for the third consecutive year and was led by freshman Teresa Cherotich, who earned Second Team All-SEC honors after running the second fastest 6K time in program history at the SEC Championship.
The women’s soccer team was the runner-up at the SEC Championship and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament after making the postseason for the 12th straight year and finished with a No. 23 national ranking.
During the SEC Tournament, the Gamecocks stunned the top seed/#2-ranked Mississippi State 3-0 to advance to the title game.
Third Team All-American fifth-year senior Cat Barry set new program records for career goals (51), points (129), and game-winners (18). She was also a First Team All-SEC selection, along with junior defender Gracie Falla. Freshman forward Katie Shea Collins earned Second Team All-SEC and All-Freshman team honors, while fifth-year defender Hallie Meadows was a Third Team All-SEC honoree.
Dawn Staley’s women’s basketball team continues to be among the national elite as the Gamecocks were the national runners-up last year. The Gamecocks made their seventh NCAA Final Four and fourth national championship game appearance in the last 11 years. The Gamecocks also won their ninth SEC Regular Season title and ninth SEC Tournament Championship, all in the last 12 years.
The Gamecocks led the nation in attendance for the 11th consecutive year, averaging a program-record 16,437 fans per home game.
Senior Te-Hina Paopao, junior Chloe Kitts, sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley, and freshman Joyce Edwards earned honorable mention All-America honors. Edwards was a First Team All-SEC and All-Freshman team selection, while Paopao and Fulwiley earned Second Team All-SEC recognition, with Fulwiley also taking home Sixth Woman of the Year honors. Senior Sania Feagin and junior Raven Johnson were named to the SEC All-Defensive team.
Coach Kalen Anderson led the No. 5 women’s golf team to its second SEC Championship and went on to win the NCAA Regional to advance to the NCAA Championships for the fifth straight year.
The Gamecocks were led by senior Louise Rydqvist, who was the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Second Team WGCA All-American, rookie Eila Galitsky, who was the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year and First Team WGCA All-American, and senior Hannah Darling, who was a Second Team WGCA All-American. All three earned First Team All-SEC honors while sophomore Maylis Lamoure and graduate Sophia Burnett earned Second Team All-SEC honors.
Anderson was named SEC Coach of the Year for the fifth time and second year in a row.
While beach volleyball did not make the postseason this year, several players put their names in the school record books, including Jolie Cranford and Julia Waugh, who moved into the top 10 in several categories, including career wins as a pair and single season paired wins over ranked opponents, as well as Riley Whitesides, who moved into the top six for career wins on court two.
First-year head coach Carol Gwin led the equestrian team back to prominence after winning the SEC Championship, becoming the first four-seed to win the title. The Gamecocks also advanced to the NCEA National Semifinals. It was the third SEC Championship for the Gamecocks and first since 2014.
Five Gamecocks earned All-American honors, with junior Natalie Jayne earning First Team recognition, freshman Amira Kettaneh and junior Mary Hunter Millet earning Second Team laurels, and seniors Sophie Mitchell and Haley Turner taking home Honorable Mention All-American nods.
Women’s swimming and diving was back at the NCAA Championships, breaking numerous school records along the way. Junior diver Sophie Verzyl earned honorable mention All-American honors in two events and was the SEC Champion in the 3-meter event. Junior Amy Riordan earned Honorable Mention All-American honors in the backstroke. Senior Greta Pelzek was also an All-American in the 200 fly.
Women’s tennis continued its winning ways after reaching the NCAA Tournament for the 30th straight year. The Gamecocks advanced to the second round and were led by senior Sarah Hamner and redshirt sophomore Kaitlyn Carnicella, who were both named Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Americans. Hamner was also a First Team All-SEC honoree, while Carnicella earned Second Team All-SEC accolades.
Another first-year coach made a huge impact as Ashley Chastain Woodard returned to her alma mater and brought the softball team back into the national spotlight.
After being picked last in the preseason SEC poll, South Carolina went 44-17 overall, finished seventh in the SEC with 13-11 mark, which was only the second winning record in league play in the last 22 years. The Gamecocks hosted and won the NCAA Regional, hosted the NCAA Super Regional and were one out away from reaching the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 1997 before falling in three games to UCLA.
Woodard was named the National Coach of the Year by D1 Softball.
Sixth-year pitcher Sam Gress earned Second Team All-SEC and All-Defensive team honors, and junior first baseman Arianna Rodi was named a Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner. Rodi, junior catcher Lexi Winters, and junior pitcher Jori Heard took home Second Team All-Region honors, while Gress and redshirt junior Quincee Lilio earned Honorable Mention All-Region recognition.
The women’s track & field team continued to re-write the record books and competed in the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
Sophomore JaMeesia Ford earned the Commissioner’s Trophy at the SEC Outdoor Championships after taking gold the 100 meter and 200 meter events and joined senior Jayla Jamison, and sophomores Cynteria James and Zaya Akins in taking gold in the 4×100 meter relay and 4×400 meter relay events. She also won gold in the 200m at the SEC Indoor Championships and was named the SEC Women’s Runner of the Year after the Outdoor Championship. Sophomore Salma Elbadra won the SEC Outdoor title in the 1500 meter event and was the SEC Women’s Newcomer Runner of the Year.
The Gamecocks sent eight competitors to the NCAA Outdoor Championship in Eugene, Oregon. where Ford was crowned champion in the 200 meters, while Jamison finished seventh in event, allowing both to take All-American honors. Jamison, James, Akins, and Ford were also the runner-up in the 4×100 meter relay, clocking a program record 42.40 to take silver as well as First Team All-American honors.
Ford captured her third All-America nod at the National Championship event after finishing as the runner-upin the 100 meters, running 11.14 and finishing just .003 seconds behind Southern California’s Samirah Moody. Salma Elbadra and Cheyla Scott were each named to the Second Team All-American squad after placing in the Top 16 in their respective events.
As a team, South Carolina finished with 28 points and took seventh place in the overall standings. This was the first Top 10 finish since placing 10th in 2019 and marks the best team finish since 2006 when the Gamecocks placed third.
Rest up and get ready for the 2025-2026 academic year!
