Gamecocks Conclude Opening Weekend with Sweep Over Northeastern

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina volleyball team (2-0) earned its second sweep of the week on Sunday afternoon in the Carolina Volleyball Center, defeating Northeastern 3-0 to conclude the Gamecock Classic.

“I’m proud of our team on our opening weekend,” head coach Sarah Rumely Noble said. “We hit for a high efficiency and got our block going which was exciting! We look forward to a big road challenge this week!”

South Carolina showcased a balanced attack, combining strong offensive and defensive efforts while putting its depth on display as several different players made an impact throughout the match. Two Gamecocks tallied double-digit kills, while three hit over .500. The team recorded 14 total blocks, with seven different players earning at least one block, marking the second-highest total recorded during the Rumely Noble era. Three different Gamecocks also recorded eight or more digs.

1st SET: The first set was an early back-and-forth effort from both sides. The Gamecocks started to take control with a 3-0 run sparked by a dominant block from Sydney Davis, eventually extending the lead to 11-8. South Carolina scored four of the next five points to garner a 15-9 lead before the Huskies started to fight back. After an extensive rally, sophomore Olivia Borgman delivered her third kill consecutive kill, marking her sixth of the match, to bump the Gamecocks up 19-12. Northeastern fought their way back to a two-point deficit, trailing 19-21, but South Carolina was able to hold on and win the set, 25-22, after a final kill from Elise Marchal.

2nd SET: South Carolina again had to fight early in the second set as the Huskies continued to apply pressure. Both teams battled to a 6-6 score before momentum sparked for the Gamecocks. South Carolina found their footing on back-to-back kills by senior Ava Leahy to propel a 9-2 run, putting the team up 19-12. Junior Ally Cavanaugh notched her fourth kill of the day to help the team get to the biggest lead of the set at 21-13. The Gamecocks finished the set on a high note, ending with a 3-0 run and close-out kill from Marchal.

3rd SET: Borgman entered the third set blazing, notching her 11th kill of the match which sparked a 4-0 run for the Gamecocks. The Huskies quickly responded, eventually rallying their way to an even 8-8 score. South Carolina was able to capitalize on three consecutive Northeastern errors, extending their lead to 16-13. The Gamecocks continued to build upon their run, with junior Lily Gillespie hammering down an ace to make it 21-16. South Carolina maintained their advantage and closed out the final set 25-17 on back-to-back blocks by Leahy, Borgman, and sophomore Kiana Dinn.

Notables 

• The Gamecocks had a team hitting percentage of .347.
• Borgman notched 12 kills on the afternoon, followed by Marshal with 11. Two additional Gamecocks, Ava Leahy (8) and Sydney Davis (5), had five or more kills.
• Kiana Dinn and Jill Bohannon both tallied double-digit assists at 21 and 10, respectively.
• Lilly Gillespie led the team in digs with 16.
• The team had 14 total blocks, which is the second highest amount during the Rumely Noble era.

Up Next: The Gamecocks continue non-conference play on the road, heading to Michigan for their first away matches of the season. South Carolina is slated to play Michigan in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the inaugural Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge. The Gamecocks wrap up the challenge with a match against Michigan State on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 4:30 p.m.

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