The South Carolina volleyball team went 1-1 on the weekend, falling to No. 12 Florida 3-0 on Friday and defeating Ole Miss 3-0 on Sunday.
The Gamecocks entered Friday’s game facing a tough opponent, but kept things close in the first set. They put up a good fight, and there were a total of six lead changes and 14 ties during the set. The Gators were eventually able to pull away to take the first set 25-22.
South Carolina did not have as much success in the second set. Even though they kept the score close in the beginning, Florida went on a 7-0 closing run to get the win, 25-14.
Looking for a comeback, the Gamecocks tried to rally in the third but could not come out on top, giving Florida a 25-21 win and clinching the match.
The Gamecocks had to play the match without middle blockers junior Jacqy Angermiller and senior Darian Dozier, which may have hurt their offense. Junior Dessaa Legros and senior Sarah Blomgren led the offense, combining for 21 of the team’s 28 kills.
South Carolina came out firing in the first set against Ole Miss, leading 22-12. The Rebels fought back with a 12-2 run to tie the match at 24 all, but the Gamecocks got the next two points to get the 26-24 win.
The Gamecocks entered the second set strong and took another early lead. The Rebels kept it close but could not take the lead, and the Gamecocks went on to win 25-21.
Ole Miss was not giving up without a fight. As the two teams went back and forth for most of the third set, there were four lead changes and 10 ties. But South Carolina pulled away, notching the 26-24 win and winning the match 3-0.
Blomgren again led the Gamecock offense with 15 kills and 16 points in the match, with Dozier recording six kills and seven points.
After the weekend, South Carolina is now 10-14 overall and 3-8 in SEC play. The Gamecocks will look to improve their conference record when traveling to Auburn Friday and facing Alabama Sunday.