The South Carolina volleyball team secured a 3-1 win against Wofford College on Monday night at the Carolina Volleyball Center.
The first set saw Wofford go on a quick 4-point scoring run against South Carolina, with the Gamecocks fighting to keep up. The Gamecocks got back in the set by using the Terrier’s attack and service errors to its advantage, tying the game 8-8.
The first set continued to go back and forth, with the teams tying eight times in the set. Neither team could keep the lead until the end, where the Gamecocks took charge, bringing the score to 22-19. The Terriers fought to keep up, but South Carolina played with a strong offense and won the first set 25-23.
The second set started with the teams tying 3-3, but both teams continued to fight until the Gamecocks took its lead to 12-9, causing a Wofford timeout.
The Gamecocks ended up winning the second set 25-21, with senior outside hitter Alayna Johnson and freshman outside hitter Victoria Hill executing strong kills throughout the set.
Wofford took charge in the third set, leading with a 6-point scoring run against South Carolina. The Gamecocks struggled through the first half of the third set with attack errors and receiving the ball from the Terriers, putting South Carolina behind.
Wofford won the third set 25-23, despite a strong offensive comeback from the Gamecocks and several attack errors throughout the set for the Terriers, stopping its momentum.
The Gamecocks took charge early on in the fourth set, going up 6-1, with Johnson leading the team with 3 of the 6 points. Wofford fought back with a strong offense, but made several service errors.
South Carolina kept the momentum in the fourth set to win 25-16, by using strong serve-receive skills.
Marchal offers support through the match
Sophomore right side hitter Elise Marchal opened the game with three kills and helped support the team throughout all four sets with two assisted defensive blocks. Marchal finished the game as one of the team's top attackers with nine kills and a .321 kill percentage compared to the team's .428.
"We've been focusing on (blocking), working really hard," Marchal said. "Connor (Zimmick) has done a great job of preparing us, trusting us, and we just know as a team that we can go up and get big blocks."
Harris digs into defense
Sophomore libero Victoria Harris led the team's defense, getting 20 digs for South Carolina out of the team's 75 total. Harris said the coaches helped prepare her efficiently for Wofford's offensive system, and she trusted her teammates while playing.
"It's a team effort," Harris said. "I think me being comfortable to go make those plays and because we have a really good system, I think our coaches do a really good job of putting us in good defensive positions."
Gamecocks build on weak third set start
The Gamecocks started the third set only making errors, causing Wofford to gain a 6-0 lead on South Carolina. The Gamecocks gained its momentum back in the second half of the third set, using a strong offense and capitalizing on Wofford's errors.
Head coach Sarah Rumely Noble said the South Carolina was not doing its best to begin the third, but it was able to use that momentum gained in the third set to finish strong in the fourth.
"They're really good at what they do, and we have to earn it in every moment," Rumely Noble said. "I think that we weren't quite as focused on doing our jobs collectively at the beginning of that set, but then I think they all just locked eyes and were like, 'Hey, let's go.'"
What's next?
The Gamecocks will be playing the USC Upstate Spartans on Friday at 6 p.m. in the Carolina Volleyball Center. The game will be streamed on the SEC+ network.