Gamecocks Fall to NC State in Four Sets
RALEIGH, N.C. – The South Carolina volleyball team (3-4) fell to NC State (5-1) on the road Wednesday night in the inaugural Showdown at the Net SEC vs. ACC challenge. The Wolfpack edged the Gamecocks by only one in kills, leading 50-49, but it was ultimately South Carolina’s 26 errors that cost them the match in the final three sets.
For the fifth match of the season, more than two Gamecocks recorded double-digit kills. Alayna Johnson led the way with 15 followed closely by Nia Hall with 14. Middle blocker Emily Beeker stepped up for the offense as well, tying her career high nine kills and reaching a new career high seven total blocks. Victoria Harris has paced the defense for every match this season so far, continuing tonight with a season high 24 digs.
1st SET: The Gamecocks started off slow, falling to a 6-1 deficit following a 5-0 run from the Wolfpack. A South Carolina timeout provided motivation as the team returned from the break to go on a 5-0 run that included a kill from Johnson, an ace from Elizabeth McElveen and a block from Sarah Jordan and Ava Leahy to tie everything up at 6-6. The two teams then battled it out, trading off leads until the Garnet & Black strung together a 10-3 scoring run prominently backed by Beeker who had back-to-back blocks and two kills. South Carolina sealed the opening set win at 25-18 on Johnson’s fifth kill of the set, holding NC State to a .034 hitting percentage.
2nd SET: South Carolina grabbed a small lead early in the set, but NC State quickly answered, pulling ahead 8-6. Beeker carried her momentum from the first set with back-to-back kills to even the score at 8-8, and Hall followed with a kill and two straight aces to push the Gamecocks in front, 11-9. A kill from Elise Marchal extended the edge to 12-10, but the Wolfpack responded with a 4-0 run to reclaim the lead at 14-12. NC State held control until the Gamecocks erased a four-point deficit with a 4-0 run of their own to knot the score at 19-19. South Carolina managed to edge back in front, 22-21, but another Wolfpack surge—this time a 4-0 run—closed out the set, 25-22, evening the match at one set apiece.
3rd SET: The Wolfpack seized the lead early and held onto it well into the third set, distancing themselves by two or more points and continuing to extend the lead for the remainer of the frame. Reaching set point at 24-16, Beeker kept the Gamecocks alive with a first ball kill, but NC State ended the set with a 25-17 win.
4th SET: Nearly mirroring the third set, NC State claims the lead right away and is able to maintain it for the remainder of the frame. A 5-0 run pushes the Wolfpack to a 13-6 lead and the Gamecocks struggle to keep up for the rest of the set. Again at set point, South Carolina prevented NC State from getting the win right away with a final kill from Johnson but on the next play the Wolfpack earned the 3-1 win after matching the score from the third set.
Notables
- Emily Beeker set two career highs, tying her previous in kills at nine and setting a new one in blocks at seven. She hit .538, the highest on the team for those with over five kills
- Sarah Jordan contributed 36 of the Gamecocks’ 44 assists
- Nia Hall hit a career high four aces and reached her second double-double of the season with 14 kills and 10 digs
- Victoria Harris set a new season high in digs, dishing out 24
- Elizabeth McElveen reached a new season high in digs, earning 10
Up Next: South Carolina rounds out competition for the week on Friday, Sept. 12 at home with its fourth ACC opponent of the season, welcoming an undefeated No. 25 North Carolina (5-0) for a 6:00 p.m. match at the Carolina Volleyball Center. Tickets can be purchased here. Fans can also follow along from home on SEC Network +. Stats will be available on StatBroadcast.
