Women's Volleyball . September 2, 2026

Gamecocks Fall to Michigan State in Three

Game #1

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The South Carolina volleyball team (3-1, 0-0 SEC) fell 3-0 in its first loss of the 2026 season to Michigan State (4-0, 0-0 BIG10) to conclude the inaugural Big Ten/SEC Challenge Week.

The Gamecocks struggled offensively, notching 23 kills compared to the Spartans 43. Three Gamecocks led the team with five or more kills and two players recorded eight or more assists.

1st SET: Michigan State jumped out to a 5-1 start and quickly extended its advantage to 9-1, putting South Carolina in an early hole. Ava Leahy sparked the Gamecocks with a kill, while Olivia Borgman and Ceci Vance added kills to cut the deficit to 9-4. South Carolina continued to battle behind blocks from Sydney Davis and Elise Marchal and later kills from Leahy and Marchal, but the Spartans maintained control and pushed their lead to 20-10. A block from Leahy and Marchal, followed by a Kaia Pixler ace and a Michigan State attack error, sparked a 3-0 Gamecock run to make it 20-13, but the Spartans regained momentum and closed out the set, 25-14.

2nd SET: Michigan State carried its momentum into the second set, opening on a 3-0 run despite several long rallies as the Gamecocks fought to keep plays alive. Borgman put South Carolina on the board with a kill and later added another powerful finish to cut the deficit to 9-3, but the Spartans continued to control the set. Michigan State used a 6-2 run to extend its advantage to 20-8, consistently keeping South Carolina’s attacks off the floor while limiting opportunities at the net. The Gamecocks continued to battle offensively, but Michigan State closed out the set, 25-12.

3rd SET: South Carolina came out with a strong start in the third set, going toe-to-toe with Michigan State early. A kill and ace from Vance helped keep the score tied at 4-4, while a Borgman kill kept the Gamecocks within one at 7-6. Michigan State twice built a three-point advantage, but kills from Marchal and Vance helped South Carolina stay within striking distance at 9-8. The Spartans eventually created more separation, using a 4-1 run to take a 17-11 lead before extending it to 20-11 with a 6-0 stretch. Leahy halted the run with a dominant kill, but Michigan State continued to apply pressure and reached match point at 24-12. A block from Borgman and Davis kept the Gamecocks alive, but the Spartans closed out the set, 25-13, to sweep the match.

Notables

Ceci Vance led the team with seven kills. Ava Leahy and Olivia Borgman added five apiece.
For the fourth consecutive match, Lilly Gillespie was the teams top dig leader with 11.
Four different Gamecocks had at least one block.

Up Next: South Carolina returns home to face Troy on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 2:00 p.m. before welcoming Cal the following week for the SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 7:00 p.m.