The South Carolina volleyball team fell to No. 9 Texas A&M 3-1 on Wednesday night at the Carolina Volleyball Center.
South Carolina started the first set going back-and-forth with Texas A&M, tying the game six times. The Gamecocks took the lead halfway through the set, leading 15-11.
The Gamecocks used the momentum throughout the second half of the first set, with the Aggies making several receiving errors. Texas A&M fought back, using South Carolina’s attack and service errors to their advantage and tying the set 22-22.
Texas A&M won the first set 31-29 against South Carolina, with both teams' defense having trouble receiving the ball.
The Gamecocks took the lead in the second set using a strong offense and defense at the net. The Aggies caught up to the Gamecocks in the middle of the set because of the Gamecocks’ defense struggling.
The teams continued back-and-forth, tying the score eight times before South Carolina took the lead 19-17. Junior outside hitter Nia Hall led the Gamecocks' offense with four kills in the second set out of her 16 total.
The Gamecocks' defense at the net kept their momentum, carrying the team to win the set 25-20.
Texas A&M took the lead at the start of the third set, with South Carolina making five attack errors in a row. South Carolina caught up to Texas A&M, tying the score 13-13 before taking the lead.
The Aggies fought to keep the score tied, with a strong offense using the Gamecocks' block and attack errors to their advantage. There were eight ties with three lead changes during the second half of the third set.
Texas A&M took the lead with a strong offense against South Carolina, winning the third set 25-21.
The Aggies took the lead at the start of the fourth set, with the Gamecocks' defense struggling to receive the ball. The Aggies held a strong defense at the net, causing attack errors for South Carolina.
Texas A&M kept their momentum through the fourth set, causing a South Carolina timeout at 18-10. South Carolina continued to make attack errors, allowing Texas A&M to keep a strong lead.
The Aggies won the fourth 25-13, securing the victory over the Gamecocks.
Beeker carries defense at the net
The Gamecocks' defense at the net stopped several of the Aggies' attacks, with senior middle Emily Beeker getting nine blocks total. Beeker said it is a learning process throughout the match to know what the other team is going to do.
“They run a fast offense, so the focus was just to get our hands over the net, slow them down … and then set ourselves up for success,” Beeker said.
Hall leading the offense
Hall led the team's offense, making 45 attacks and 16 kills. She held a kill percentage of .356, beating the team's overall percentage of .333. Hall said she has a personal drive for her team helping her do well in matches.
“I have a weight on my shoulder to carry my weight and help my team along the way,” Hall said. “I think we did a good job of that tonight. I thought my energy personally radiated through the team and the rest of the girls.”
Struggles with receiving
The Gamecocks struggled against the Aggies' offense during the last two sets, causing them to lose several points. Beeker said the team needs to execute plays at a high level for a longer period of time to help get those points.
“It's not like they just came in here and took over. We put up a great fight,” Beeker said. “We move forward, we get back in, we're gonna dig more balls, kill more balls, block more balls.”
What’s next?
South Carolina will play the Georgia Bulldogs on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Carolina Volleyball Center. The game will be streamed on the SEC Network.