Gamecock Beach Volleyball Bows Out of CCSA Tournament

EMERSON, GA. (USC SID) – The South Carolina beach volleyball team lost a pair of 3-2 decisions Saturday to wrap up pool play at the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association’s tournament at Lakepoint Sporting Complex. The Gamecocks dropped a morning decision to Florida State, and ended the day with a loss to Tulane. The team ends the season with a 23-9 record, which stands as a program best.

There was a three-way tie for the final bid to the Sunday championship bracket, with Carolina, FIU and Tulane all ending pool play with a 2-2 record. FIU will advance because of more combined pairs wins between the three tied teams, having lost to South Carolina 3-2 but beating Tulane 4-1.

FLORIDA STATE RECAP

It was a battle of the Pool A leaders in the morning match, as the Gamecocks squared off with No. 4 Florida State (24-7). The Seminoles were able to get early momentum with a 26-24 win at the ones and a 24-22 win at the threes, and claimed the first set at four of the five pairs.

The top-seeded Seminoles moved ahead 2-0 in the dual behind sweeps at the two and four positions, but with the threes and fives going to a third set the window remained open for South Carolina. The Gamecocks would ultimately win both of those third-set matchups, with Katie Zimmerman and Macie Tendrich winning 22-24, 21-19, 15-11, and Franky Harrison and Jade Vitt taking their match 21-19, 19-21, 16-14. Florida State claimed the 3-2 team victory behind a win in the top flight, but it was the tightest result in the series history between the two teams.

TULANE RECAP

Against the Green Wave, South Carolina won the first set at the threes, fours and fives. A sweep for Harrison and Vitt at the five spot gave the Gamecocks the dual’s first point, but Tulane pushed back ahead with wins at the ones and threes. Carly Schnieder and Julia Mannisto knotted the dual back up thanks to a 21-19, 19-21, 15-13 decision in the fours, but the Green Wave clinched the win with a three-set victory in the twos pair, 21-13, 22-24, 15-9.

NOTABLE

• Just a day removed from winning her 70th career match, junior Macie Tendrich set another record on Saturday with her 27th win of the season. It breaks the previous record that she shared with Katie Zimmerman last season.
• Franky Harrison’s 3-1 record for the weekend pushes her season record to 22-9, tying the freshman record for wins in a season.
• Senior Jade Vitt finishes her career at South Carolina with a 69-53 overall record. She is second in program history for career wins, and had a career-high 23 wins this season.
• South Carolina’s final record of 23-9 is a new program record. The team now has back-to-back 20-win seasons.

UP NEXT

The season is currently over for the Gamecocks, though there still is an outside opportunity for a wildcard bid to the NCAA championships. The field will officially be announced on April 30.