Gamecocks Conclude Non-Conference Play with Sweep Over Virginia Tech

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina volleyball team (7-3, 0-0 SEC) returned to the win column on Friday night with a 3-0 victory over Virginia Tech (3-6, 0-0 ACC) in the Carolina Volleyball Center, marking the Gamecocks’ third sweep and second win over an ACC opponent of the season.

1st SET: The Gamecocks jumped to a 7-3 lead behind kills from four separate players on a 4-0 run. Ceci Vance and Elise Marchal recorded kills around Virginia Tech attack errors, sparking a five-point-run. A service ace from Madisyn Crnjac started another five-point scoring run, which included kills from Olivia Borgman and Marchal to extend the Gamecock advantage to 17-6. Lilly Gillespie earned a service ace followed kills from Borgman and Marchal, to give the Gamecocks a 20-8 lead. The Hokies were unable to respond, with Borgman’s service ace and third kill putting the Gamecocks up 23-9. Vance’s third kill of the set secured the opening set 25-10 for the Gamecocks.

2nd SET: The two teams traded points to begin the second set, with the Gamecocks leading 10-8 early after a pair of kills from Vance. Virginia Tech was able to stay within range, tying the set at 15-15 after stringing together five kills. A service ace from Crnjac and a pair of kills from Marchal kill began a three-point run for the Gamecocks, pushing them to a 20-17 lead and forcing a Hokie timeout. Virginia Tech was unable to rally as a series of service and attack errors extended South Carolina’s advantage to six, leading 24-18. A defiant block shared by senior Ava Leahy and Marchal clinched a 25-18 victory for the Gamecocks.

3rd SET: South Carolina gained a 9-3 lead to open the third set following kills from Marchal and Borgman, and two from Leahy. Virginia Tech answered with three straight points, before Vance’s ninth kill of the match snapped their momentum. The two teams traded errors as the Hokies found it difficult to find a foothold in the set. Marchal’s seventh kill of the match gave the Gamecocks a 15-9 lead, heading into media timeout. The Gamecocks pushed to a 19-10 lead, backed by a kill from Borgman and service ace from Gillespie. The Hokies scored six of the next eight points, reducing the Gamecock lead to five. A kill from Ally Cavanaugh followed by two errors gave the Gamecocks a 24-18 lead. The match ended with Vance notching her tenth kill to give the Gamecocks a 25-18 victory.

Notables 

• Ceci Vance led the team with 10 kills, followed by Ava Leahy with nine and Elise Marchal with seven.
• Leahy led the team with a .500 hitting percentage.
• Jillian Bohannon finished with a career high 17 assists, while Kiana Dinn recorded 12.
• Marchal and Sydney Davis tallied five blocks each.
• Olivia Borgman, Madisyn Crnjac and Lilly Gillespie all recorded two service aces.
• Gillespie led with 18 digs while Crnjac followed with 10, a career high.
• This marked the Gamecocks third sweep of the season (3-0 vs. UNCG, 3-0 vs. Northeastern), and their first since the Gamecock Classic.

Up Next: The Gamecocks begin SEC play on the road, heading to Athens, Georgia to take on the Bulldogs on Wednesday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m.

For continued updates on the team, follow Gamecockvolley on X/Twitter and GamecockVB on Instagram.