COLUMBIA, S.C. – The beach volleyball team returns home to host the Carolina Challenge this weekend, running Saturday and Sunday, March 9-10, with matches against Tennessee Tech, North Florida, New Orleans and Eastern Kentucky. The Gamecocks (4-4) compete at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day.
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. Fans are encouraged to park at metered spots around Heyward Street, pictured below. The gravel lot between Heyward Street and the outdoor tennis facility is only open when weather permits. Please refer to the athletics village parking guide site (updated weekly) for the most up-to-date information.
WEEK TWO NOTABLES
- Peyton Yamagata and Abigail Lagemann each picked up their first wins as Gamecocks in the weekend finale against Charleston. The pair went three sets in each of the four duals this weekend and finally broke through. For the season, five of Yamagata and Lagemann’s seven total matches together have gone three sets and Charleston was their first victory.
- The team’s second, fourth and fifth pairings went 4-0 for the weekend and dropped just one set combined between the three duos. Seniors Hannah Mackenhausen and Riley Whitesides would be the clinching point in all four of the team wins and move to 6-2 for the spring as a pair, best on the team.
- Mackenhausen’s 26 career starts on court two moves her past Kaeli Crews (2020-23) for eighth-most in program history. Her 17 wins on two are seventh-most, tied now with Aubrey Ezell (2016-18).
- Also in the record book, Mackenhausen reached 70 career wins after taking down Charleston. She is the fifth Gamecock in program history with 70 career dual wins.
- Skylar Allen made her 100th career start in the top pairing in the weekend finale against Charleston. Allen already held the program record for most starts on court one, only six other Gamecocks in program history have more than 100 career starts overall.
- South Carolina is now 81-26 (.757) all time in its home sand of Wheeler Beach.
SCOUTING THE WEEKEND FIELD
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
- This will be the first meeting between the two programs. Tennessee Tech debuted as a beach volleyball program in 2023,…