COLUMBIA, S.C. – A slow night offensively cost the Gamecocks in their Southeastern Conference opener, South Carolina volleyball (9-3, 0-1 SEC) dropped a four-set decision to Mississippi State (7-3, 1-0) on Friday night. Three individuals went for double-digit kills, led by Riley Whitesides’ 13, but the offense hit just .153 as a team and were stymied by 16 blocks by the Bulldogs.
1st SET: South Carolina started opening night with a strong and steady first set, but the Mississippi State block would sharpen late and be the decisive factor in a late comeback from the visitors. The Gamecocks carried a multi-point lead for most of the set, pushing ahead to 21-16 to force the Bulldogs into their final timeout. Out of the break, the visitors scored seven of the next eight points to take a 23-22 lead, their first advantage since scoring the game’s first point. A kill from Tireh Smith evened the score at 23 but State would get a kill and then its sixth block of the set sealed the 25-23 win.
2nd SET: The offense stayed down in set two, the lowest production of the night for the Gamecocks with just eight kills on a .107 hitting percentage as the Bulldogs won 25-18 to take a 2-0 lead. It would be a tight score early, a combo block by Smith and Anna Wilson drew the Gamecocks to within one at 16-15 but Mississippi State pulled away from there with a 5-0 run.
3rd SET: Opting for a new look, the Gamecocks moved to a two-setter offense in the third and were able to extend the match with a 25-22 win. Carolina used an 5-1 run to take an 11-8 lead early and were able to keep the Bulldogs at an arm’s length from there, never giving back the lead.
4th SET: Another late-game slip cost the team the chance at a fifth set, Mississippi State used an 11-2 run to break away from a 14-all tie and seal the match. The Gamecocks held modest leads early, but after using a 3-0 run early to tie the score at 9-9, Carolina put together back-to-back points just one more time from there. The offense was slowed by two serving rotations back-to-back that keyed the Bulldog run. State finished the night with its best offensive numbers, hitting .361 with 16 kills to keep the pedal to the floor and close the game with a 25-16 score.
NOTABLE
- The Bulldogs won in Columbia for just the fifth time in the all-time series, over 28 games and dating back to 1976.
- Mississippi State’s .248 hitting percentage was the second-highest this season by a Gamecock opponent, behind only Kansas in…