FINDING THE BRIGHT SIDE ON THE RIGHT SIDE
South Carolina’s offense has searched for a go-to attack option on the right-side pin ever since the graduation of all-american Mikayla Shields in 2019. It appears the team has it twofold with the progress of Kiune Fletcher and the emergence of freshman Campbell Paris. Along with Fletcher’s numbers (see above), Paris is averaging 2.02 kills per set in her debut season.
Dating back to Shields’ final season, when she finished with 405 kills as the lone right side, the Gamecocks moved to a two-setter and two-right side offense and have not had a single right side hitter surpass 250 kills since 2019. Currently, Fletcher and Paris are both on pace to reach 200 kills and both are averaging two or more kills per set.
COMPARING WINS AND LOSSES…
- The serve game has been vital. In wins, South Carolina is averaging a full service ace per set more than opponents (1.68 to 0.68). In losses, that ratio is completely flipped, with opponents averaging 1.81 aces per set and the Gamecocks dropping to 0.62. The team is 5-0 when finishing with more aces in a match and just 1-7 when allowing as many or more aces to opponents.
- It was a group effort behind the service line in wins, with four different players posting five or more total aces in the six wins. In the seven losses, two Gamecocks share the team lead with four aces apiece.
- Blocking has also been a major dividing line, with a 5-1 record when out-blocking opponents but just 1-6 when they do not. The team’s trio of left side blockers (Riley Whitesides, Lauren McCutcheon and Alayna Johnson) have been a hidden key, with 28 blocks combined between the three in six wins but just 12 in seven losses.
- For hitting efficiency, South Carolina is hitting .221 in wins compared to .171 in losses. The opponent’s splits are even greater, though, with a .168 percentage in Gamecock wins compared to .287 in Gamecock losses.
- The left-side attacking trio of Whitesides, McCutcheon and Johnson are a strong indicators of the team’s success, both in output and efficiency. The three average 7.00 kills per set in wins but 4.96 in losses, but it’s the hitting efficiency that is most notable. In wins, the trio are hitting .195 in wins but just .117 in losses.
ANADI ROUNDING OUT HER GAME
Junior middle Oby Anadi entered the 2022 season as an unknown, playing in just 34 total sets in her 2021 freshman campaign. She quickly made herself known as a blocker, finishing with 120 total blocks,…