South Carolina volleyball upset the defending national champions, Kentucky, on Thursday, handing the team its first SEC loss of the season. Even though the Wildcats swept the Gamecocks on Friday, the series was a big step towards South Carolina’s NCAA Tournament chances.
“This is an NCAA Tournament team. I think if we take care of business the next two weeks, we’re solidly in. I don’t think we’re a bubble team,” head coach Tom Mendoza said on Friday.
Thursday
South Carolina started the evening out on a bright note, taking a 3-0 lead to begin the first set. That became a common recurrence in sets the Gamecocks won, starting the fourth with a 4-0 tilt and the fifth with a 6-3 lead.
Kentucky pushed off a couple of runs in the middle of the first set, but 3 straight points to end set one gave the Gamecocks their first set win over the Wildcats since November of 2018.
The second and third sets were hard for the Gamecock defense as Kentucky dominated on the attack, finishing the evening with a .345 hitting percentage.
Sophomore outside hitter Riley Whitesides began to take over late in the third set, though. Whitesides led the Gamecocks in kills in both games. In the team's upset victory on Thursday, she finished with 18 kills. Her fellow left-side, graduate student Kyla Manning, was not too far behind her, with 17.
“When our pins are playing well, I’d put them up against anybody,” Mendoza said. ”For them to go punch for punch at times — with some of the swings Kentucky was having — is just incredibly impressive.”
South Carolina went on to win the fourth set by a score of 25-20, forcing a fifth set.
During the final set, the teams went back and forth for the first 22 points before the Gamecocks pulled away late, picking up their first win against the Wildcats since 2010. This was also South Carolina's second straight year with a victory over a top-five team, after beating Florida last year.
Friday
Kentucky swept the Gamecocks in straight sets on Friday, winning the first and third by double digits.
The Wildcats dominated offensively, hitting .312 on the evening, compared to the .122 put up by the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks struggled defensively against the imposing Kentucky offense.
But again, Whitesides impressed. She hit an impressive .500 on the evening, leading the Gamecocks with eight kills.
“Riley is capable of being a dominant left-side in the SEC and the NCAA,” Mendoza said. “That’s the challenge that she’s embraced this year: is that not letting teams take away the impact she gives our team. We talked to her midweek about that, and I don’t know if she consciously accepted the challenge or just rolled into these two matches with some confidence.”
Up Next
South Carolina will travel to Auburn for a Wednesday night match-up against the Tigers. The game will begin at 9:00 p.m. and be broadcast on the SEC Network.