Team looks for strong finish after recent slump
It has been a turbulent ride the past month for South Carolina volleyball.
After a 13-0 start to the season, the Gamecocks have won just three of their last 16 games. They currently have a 4-13 conference record, good for last in the SEC East.
With three games remaining in the season, coach Scott Swanson knows that despite their slump, the Gamecocks can still finish strong down the final stretch that starts with their road trip this weekend.
The Gamecocks will face off against Alabama on Friday night and finish off the weekend on Sunday at Florida. Swanson said the two games will be a challenge for his struggling team.
“It’s Alabama’s senior night, so we’re expecting a good crowd. Emotions are always high when it’s the last home game for their seniors, and they are coming off of a big upset against Kentucky last week,” Swanson said. ”The level that they’re playing at right now is different from the first time we saw them.”
As for the defending-conference-champion Florida Gators, Swanson knows that Sunday’s match will be one of the toughest the team has endured all season. The Gators have won all but one of their conference matches this season and are currently the No. 16 team in the country.
Early in the season, South Carolina was able to take the Gators to four sets and had them in trouble at various points in the match. The near-upset has Swanson and the Gamecocks cautiously optimistic despite the Gators’ undeniable prowess.
“The first time we played them here it was actually one of our better matches. We took game two off of them and almost took game three,” Swanson said. “If we execute at a high level and hang around with great defense, I like our chances against anyone.”
Of the three remaining games on South Carolina’s schedule, the Gamecocks need to win one to finish above .500 for only the second time in the past nine years.
In what is only Swanson’s second season as head coach, he knows that continuing to make strides like these as a program is huge.
“You always want to continue moving forward as a program,” Swanson said. “It’s super important that we end on a good feeling about where we left off so that when we come back this spring we know exactly what to work towards so that this time next year we are in an even better spot.”
As for the future of South Carolina volleyball, Swanson says that there is much to be excited about with developing and returning players.
“Juliette Thevenin, Lexie Pawlik and Paige Wheeler will all be back next year so we have a good returning core,” Swanson said. “We also have some freshmen who have played significantly for us this year, like Darian Dozier and Jenna Allen who we’re expecting big things from next year.”
In Swanson’s eyes, the future is bright, but the team will need time to develop. It starts with finishing the year with strong performances at Alabama and Florida this weekend.
“I know we have it in us. We just have to be a little bit patient,” Swanson said.