COLUMBIA, S.C. – For its third match in a row, South Carolina (8-6, 2-2 SEC) found itself going the distance with a five-set match against Missouri (7-6, 0-3 SEC) on Saturday. The Gamecocks rebounded with a dominant final set to overcome a 2-1 deficit and get the win. Four different members of the team posted double-doubles, Jenna Hampton led the defense with 29 digs and Riley Whitesides put away seven of her team-high 15 kills in the final two sets.
1st SET: The Gamecocks jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a strong first set, winning 25-18 behind four blocks and an offense that hit .306 and put away 14 kills. Tied at 6-all early, a 6-0 run behind the service line with Whitesides broke the game open and Missouri would get no closer than three points the rest of the set. Whitesides did a little bit of everything, recording a kill, two service aces, two blocks and four digs. Three different Gamecocks would record four kills in the set – McKenzie Moorman, Lauren McCutcheon and Ellie Ruprich.
2nd SET: Missouri answered in the second, separating itself mid-way through for a 25-20 win. Holding an 11-10 lead, South Carolina saw their opponents reel off nine of the next 12 points for a lead the Gamecocks could not find away to answer. Neither side found much success on offense, Missouri only held a slight advantage with a .191 hitting percentage compared to .163 for South Carolina. The two defenses combined for 45 digs and six blocks, the Gamecocks were led by six digs apiece from Hampton and Dalaney Hans.
3rd SET: The third set would feature 14 ties and seven lead changes, almost all of them coming early. Missouri again used a mid-game run to get the advantage, breaking away for a 25-22 win to push ahead 2-1 in sets. Neither team held more than a two-point advantage until the Tiger run; with the Gamecocks up 17-16, Missouri scored five unanswered points and ran out to a 23-18 lead and were able to hold off a late push for the set win.
4th SET: The defense emerged as the key again for South Carolina in the must-win fourth set. The Gamecocks limited Missouri to just nine kills and a .054 hitting percentage to force a fifth set with a 25-19 victory. There was not as much back-and-forth between the teams, rather trading off small runs and chunks of points at a time. South Carolina was able to break up an early push from Mizzou with a 7-0 run keyed by the service of Camilla Covas behind the line that turned a 9-6 lead for the Tigers into a Gamecock…