The South Carolina volleyball team came out on top 3-2 in its match against the No. 25 North Carolina Tar Heels on Sept. 12 at the Carolina Volleyball Center.
The first set opened as an early back-and-forth battle for points and early successful challenges called by both teams. The Gamecocks started strong with early kills from freshman outside hitter Victoria Hill and sophomore right side Elise Marchal, but service errors and attack errors allowed the Tar Heels to build a 19-13 lead behind junior outside hitter Safi Hampton's kills at the net.
South Carolina responded, using a service ace from sophomore libero Victoria Harris and timely kills from Hill, junior outside hitter Nia Hall and senior outside hitter Alayna Johnson to spark a late rally to pull it within one at 24-23. North Carolina ultimately won 25-23 to take the first set.
In the second set, North Carolina struggled to find rhythm, committing multiple attack errors and burning both timeouts by the 15-9 mark.
From there, South Carolina's front line took over. Marchal and junior middle Ava Leahy combined for consecutive blocks to finish a 6-0 run that stretched the lead to 18-9. South Carolina ended strong, with Hall finishing the set on a kill to tie up the match.
South Carolina came out sharp in the third set, jumping to a 6-3 lead behind errors forced at the net and an ace from Marchal. Hall provided a major spark off the bench, recording a kill and a block to push the Gamecocks ahead 10-5 and force a Tar Heel timeout.
North Carolina answered with kills from redshirt junior outside hitter Chelsea Thorpe and junior right side Hailey Pearce, trimming the gap to 20-16. However, South Carolina's block and balanced scoring halted the comeback.
Leahy and senior middle Emily Beeker chipped in with blocks, and Hill ended the set with four kills, giving the Gamecocks a 25-21 win and a 2-1 set lead.
After trading points for a 10-10 tie in the fourth set, North Carolina strung together a run fueled by kills from Hampton and Pearce, while South Carolina errors extended the gap to 14-11. The Gamecocks battled back with kills from Hall and Johnson, trimming the deficit to 21-18, but North Carolina responded out of a timeout with a late surge.
Despite strong swings from the Gamecocks at the net, South Carolina's attack errors against the North Carolina block proved costly as the Tar Heels took the match to a fifth set.
After trading early kills in the fifth set, South Carolina surged ahead 6-2 behind three straight Tar Heel attack errors and a block from Marchal and Leahy, forcing a North Carolina timeout.
The Gamecocks stretched the lead to 9-4 with a kill from Hall and an ace from junior defensive specialist Elizabeth McElveen, but errors allowed North Carolina to begin mounting a comeback.
A string of attack errors from South Carolina erased its cushion, as North Carolina tied it 10-10. Out of its second timeout, the Gamecocks responded with back-to-back kills from Johnson and Hall, then held firm in the closing rally.
With the score at 13-13, South Carolina capitalized on a service error by the Tar Heels and closed out the match 15-13 on a Hall-Leahy block, securing the win in dramatic fashion.
Big blocks at the net
South Carolina's presence at the net was a big game-changer, piling up 15 team blocks to disrupt North Carolina's attack and swing momentum in key rallies.
Leahy anchored the defense with eight block assists, while Beeker added six block assists and one solo block, and Marchal chipped in seven block assists.
"We always have a forward-thinking mindset ... so we just trust in ourselves and in our teammates, and we know that we are good enough," Leahy said.
Hill shines on the attack
Hill was a key offensive weapon for South Carolina, finishing the match with 17 kills on 40 attacks, a .200 hitting percentage and 18 points. She delivered in crucial moments, adding seven digs and two blocks, showing her ability to contribute both at the net and in transition.
"I'm obviously not as big as other people, but that doesn't matter if I can show big things in other ways," Hill said.
Finding its rhythm on offense
The Gamecocks showed flashes of offensive rhythm, combining for 62 kills on 154 attacks, and a .182 team hitting percentage. While efficiency was a work in progress, the balanced attack allowed multiple players to contribute, keeping South Carolina competitive and generating consistent scoring opportunities throughout the match.
"We had a really good game plan going into the match," head coach Sarah Rumely Noble said. "We talked about owning our side out and being able to steal points when we were back behind the service line ... they really believed in it and stuck to it and went assertive."
What's next?
The Gamecocks (4-4) will stay in Columbia to face the Wofford Terriers (2-4) on Monday, Sept. 15. The match will begin at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network.