South Carolina Volleyball Tips Off 52nd Season Hosting Gamecock Classic
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina volleyball opens its 52nd season under new head coach Sarah Rumely Noble this weekend, hosting a three-day tournament in the Carolina Volleyball Center. The Gamecock Classic runs from Aug. 29 to 31 with the Garnet & Black playing one game each day. The Gamecocks face ETSU at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Campbell at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and round out the weekend with a Palmetto Series matchup against Clemson on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
All games will be streamed on SEC Network+ and fans can also follow along on social media through @GamecockVolley on X and @GamecockVB on Instagram.
SCOUTING THE BUCS
ETSU closed the 2024 season with a 19-11 overall record and a 10-6 mark in SoCon play, advancing to the conference tournament semifinals before falling 3-1 to Wofford. The Bucs return three of their top five kill leaders, highlighted by Whitley Rammel (208 kills) and Brianna Cantrell (188), both of whom earned spots on the SoCon Preseason All-Conference Team. ETSU was tabbed third in the league’s preseason poll. Defensively, the Bucs bring back Melanie Morris, who paced the team with 461 digs last season (4.12 per set). ETSU also led the SoCon in opponent hitting percentage (.162), ranking 18th nationally, and topped the league in blocks per set (2.32). Rammel contributed 45 total blocks, finishing second on the team.
SCOUTING THE CAMELS
Campbell wrapped up the 2024 season at 6-22 overall and 4-14 in CAA play, closing the year with a 3-0 loss to Stony Brook. The Camels return key offensive pieces in Gwen Wolkow and Maddie Lambers. Wolkow led the team in kills last season (250), while Lambers posted a team-best .289 hitting percentage with 99 kills, earning a spot on the CAA All-Rookie Team. Defensively, Campbell will move forward without standout libero Riley Dean, who will not return for 2025. Maddie Converse is back to guide the offense after pacing the squad in assists last season (477). As a unit, the Camels averaged 1.8 blocks per set with 188 total. For 2025, Wolkow earned a spot on the CAA Preseason All-Conference Team, while Lambers received honorable mention.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Clemson finished the 2024 season with an 11–20 overall record and a 3–17 mark in ACC play. The Tigers return key offensive contributors in Mia McGrath and Kennedy Wagner. McGrath paced the group of returners with 250 kills (2.31 per set) and 293 points (2.71 per set), while Wagner added 121 kills (2.75 per set) as a reliable pin option. At setter, Katherine Sandt is back to guide the offense after putting up 735 assists (7.74 per set) during her freshman season.
NEW ERA, NEW FACES
Head coach Sarah Rumley Noble’s 2025 squad features plenty of new faces, with 12 players not on last year’s roster. This group includes six freshmen, one sophomore, four juniors, and one senior. Two of the newcomers, junior Laiya Ebo and senior Emily Beeker, joined the Gamecocks in the spring semester, giving them a head start in adjusting to the program and building chemistry with returners.
APP TO COLA PIPELINE
Along with assistant coaches Connor Zimmick and Chanelle Hargreaves, head coach Noble also brought over two transfers, Ava Leahy and Elise Marchal, from Appalachian State. Freshmen Claire Payne and Victoria Hill were also committed to her previous program before deciding to join her in Columbia.
ROOKIE ROLL CALL
Six true freshmen are part of the Gamecock lineup this fall.
- Victoria Hill (Oviedo, Fla. – Outside Hitter) is a three-time Florida Girls Private School Athlete of the Year and three-time Varisty Volleyball Servant Leadership Award (MPV) recepient. She played club for Gamepoint 18 Rox, helping the team to a 2020 AAU Nationals title and runner-up finish in 2021. Additionally, she was named an AAU All-American in 2020 and 2021.
- Sydney Davis (Orlando, Fla. – Middle) played club for Gamepoint Volleyball, helping the team to a second place finish at 2021 AAU Nationals. She was named to the 2023 Junior Volleyball Association’s World Challenge All-Tournament Team, a 2024 Triple Crown Tournament Show Stopper and 2024 USA Volleyball Nationals Supernova. During her senior season at Timber Creek high school she hit .474 and tallied 211 kills. In 2021 she set the record for blocks in a season, and she was named a Florida Athletic Coaches Association all-state honoree in 2024.
- Lina Merz (Dresden, Germany – Right Side Hitter) played club for VC Olympia Dresden, helping the team win the national U20 championship and Vice-Champion at the U18 level in 2022. During her last season the team finished third at the German U20 National Championship.
- Anne Bradley Bing (Gastonia, N.C. – DS/Libero) was a key contributor at her high school, finishing as one of the most well-rounded players in Gaston Day School’s volleyball program history. She held the school records for career digs, single-season kills and single-season assists. Her senior year, she led the team to the North Carolina 2A state championship, marking the second state title of her career. On the club side, she played for Stars Volleyball Club, which were two-time Mideast Qualifier Champions and two-time Southern Exposure tournament champions.
- Claire Payne (Wakarusa, Ind. – Middle) was named an AVCA All-Region and Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association (IHSVCA) All-Region Honoree for her performances during her career at NorthWood High School. Her senior year, she made the IHSVCA 1st team All-State and was an IHSCVA North All-Star. Payne finished her career with 1,321 kills, 373 blocks and a hitting percentage of .396. She competed for Northern Indiana Volleyball Association (NIVA) club team, helping it to an AAU 18U Patriot Division National Championship in 2024 and a top five finish at USA Volleyball’s 18s Junior National Championship this past April, earning her a spot on the all-tournament team.
- Kaia Pixler (Phoenix, Ariz. – Setter) played club for Arizona Storm Elite VBC which won five USA Volleyball nationals titles in a six-year span (13s, 14s, 16s, 17s and 18s). She helped lead her team to the open division title at USA Volleyball’s 18s Junior Nationals, making the division’s All-Tournament team in the process. Pixler also finished her career at Sunnyslope High School as a four-year varsity letterwinner, going over 2,500 assists and 100 service aces in addition to several major statistical milestones.
ALL-AROUND ATHLETES
Two of the freshmen, Victoria Hill and Claire Payne, were multi-sport athletes in high school. Hill competed on the track & field team, recording three gold medal finishes at the 2024 and 2025 Florida State Track Championships. She earned the triple jump title in 2024 and the long and high jump titles in 2025. Payne was also a standout in high school track & field, holding the program record in the high jump and qualifying for the state meet twice in the event. In addition, she played basketball, leading her team last season in points, rebounds, and blocks. Hill and Payne’s skills on the field and court are expected to translate to their first collegiate volleyball season.
BACKLINE BOSSES
Columbia native Victoria Harris had a standout freshman season, establishing herself as one of the Gamecocks’ top returners for 2025. She anchored the back line of the defense, helping South Carolina reduce total service reception errors from 166 to 114. Harris led the team with 396 digs, averaging 4.04 per set—nearly two more than the next-highest teammate—and ranked sixth in the SEC and 14th nationally among Division I freshmen. She recorded four 20-dig matches, including a season-high 27 against LSU, the most by a freshman in a single game in the rally-scoring era, earning her SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 18. Following the season, Harris was named to the 2024 SEC All-Freshman team, becoming the ninth Gamecock in program history to earn the honor and the first since 2021. Despite being an underclassman, the sophomore looks to take on a leadership role this season.
Elizabeth McElveen, the other returning libero, developed into a key defensive presence last season. She recorded three double-digit dig matches, including a career-high 17 against Duke. In the Wake Forest match, McElveen tallied a career-best four service aces, all in the first set, and finished the season with 22 aces, the third-most on the team. This season, she brings valuable veteran experience and the ability to contribute critical points with her serve when it matters most.
JORDAN YEAR
After transferring from Towson two years ago, Sarah Jordan made an immediate impact in her first season as a Gamecock, becoming a key contributor to the offense. She returns for her senior year as the team’s top setter, having led last season with 951 assists. Her 9.91 assists per set ranked eighth in the SEC and marked the eighth-highest single-season total in program history’s rally-scoring era. Jordan also reached the 2,000-career-assist milestone during the Ole Miss match and set the program record for assists in a single game with 66 in a win at LSU. She finished the season with 10 double-doubles, cementing her role as a cornerstone of the Gamecock offense.
MIDDLE MAKEOVER
Both of South Carolina’s primary middles this season—Emily Beeker and Ava Leahy—are newcomers to the program. Beeker, an SEC transfer from Tennessee, played four seasons with the Vols and appeared in 43 sets last year, posting 60 kills on a .396 hitting percentage. She earned SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors as a junior. Leahy arrives from Appalachian State, where she spent two seasons under coach Noble. She played in 52 matches, recording 365 kills (1.87 per set) with a .243 hitting percentage. As a sophomore, she logged double-digit kills in 11 matches, highlighted by a career-high 22 last November, and capped her tenure at App by earning second-team All-Sun Belt Conference recognition. Freshman Claire Payne is also expected to contribute at the net this season.
PIN POINT PLAYERS
The Gamecock offense takes a hit this year with the graduation of top kill leader Riley Whitesides, who closed her senior season with 438 kills. To fill that void, South Carolina will look to Alayna Johnson, last year’s No. 2 in kills. Johnson is coming off a breakout season in which she set career highs across the board earning 236 kills, 18 assists, 23 aces, 148 digs, and 269.5 points. She posted 16 kills in just three sets at Texas, narrowly missing her career high, and capped the year by reaching the 500-career-kill milestone in the regular-season finale.
Elise Marchal is a key addition to the Gamecock offense after a standout freshman season at Appalachian State where she was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and earned Second-Team All-SBC honors. Marchal finished with 245 kills (2.19 per set) on a .254 hitting percentage, along with 288 digs (2.57 per set) and 75 total blocks. She recorded double-digit kills in 11 matches and helped the Mountaineers reach their first NIVC Tournament since 2019, where she contributed 11 kills, three blocks, and two aces in the opening round.
Nia Hall rounds out the group of veteran outside hitters, joining the Gamecocks after two seasons at Cleveland State. She appeared in 58 matches for the Vikings and finished second on the team in kills in 2024. Hall played a key role in leading Cleveland State to a Horizon League championship and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. She earned First-Team All-Horizon League honors last season and closed her time with the Vikings with 550 kills, 185 digs, and 111 blocks. Hall wasted no time making an impact, finishing preseason as the team’s kill leader.
Freshman Tori hill is also expected to contribute significantly on the offensive side this season.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS
The SEC Volleyball Championship returns this fall for the first time since 2005, ending a 20-year hiatus. The event was previously held from 1979–2005 at both campus sites and neutral locations. Past champions include Florida (12 titles), Kentucky (5), LSU and Tennessee (4 each), and Arkansas and Georgia (1 each). The 2025 championship will be hosted at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Ga., November 21–25, marking the addition of a championship event in every sport in the conference.
STATUS QUO IN THE CLASSROOM
The program extended its streak to 16 consecutive seasons earning the AVCA Team Academic Award, announced July 21, after posting team GPAs above 3.50 in both the fall and spring semesters. Only 14 of the 353 Division I programs hold a longer streak. This comes despite an ambitious list of majors that spans the world-renowned business school, sports science fields and education.
