COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina beach volleyball brings the 2024 regular season to a close on its home sand this weekend, hosting the Gamecock Grand Slam April 19-20. The 20th-ranked Gamecocks will face Jacksonville and No. 10 LSU on Friday at 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively, and then Coastal Carolina and No. 15 Georgia State at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Friday night’s matchup with LSU will also feature a pregame senior ceremony. The team will recognize six Gamecocks – Skylar Allen, Sophie Bengoechea, Allison Coens, Jillian Gleason, Hannah Mackenhausen and McKenzie Nichols.
This spring, attendance at home matches at Wheeler Beach is again free and open to the general public. Please continue to follow the athletics department’s clear bag policy. Fan entrance is only permitted on the north side of the facility through the main gate and only participating teams and game-day personnel are permitted on the sand surface. Please refer to the athletics village parking guide site (updated weekly) for the most up-to-date information heading into Saturday.
BEACH BURROW BASH NOTABLES
- Riley Whitesides (court two), VB Trost (court five) and Julia Waugh (court three) each picked up their first career wins over ranked opponents in the morning dual against Stetson.
- With her win on court three Saturday morning against Stetson, sophomore Jolie Cranford recorded her team-leading 18th victory of the spring, matching her freshman win total. She finished the weekend with three wins, making her the first Gamecock to reach 20 wins so far this season.
- Hannah Mackenhausen won her 20th career match against a ranked opponent thanks to her three-set victory on court two vs. FAU, she moves into sole possession of seventh place for career ranked wins in program history.
- Mackenhausen’s first win of the weekend, vs. Stetson, was also her 80th career win overall, making her the fifth Gamecock in program history to reach the total.
- Saturday morning was just the fourth win over Stetson in the all-time series (4-10, since 2016). The Hatters had won five of the last six duals.
- Six of South Carolina’s 11 losses have come by a 3-2 margin, including four of those losses coming against nationally ranked opponents.
SCOUTING THE WEEKEND FIELD
COASTAL CAROLINA
- South Carolina leads the all-time series, 13-0 (Since 2016). In the last meeting, the Gamecocks won, 3-2 (March 2, 2024)
- The Chanticleers have been red-hot as of late, winning 17 games in a row entering the…