‘Incredibly proud’: South Carolina volleyball battles but falls short, exits NCAAs

South Carolina took big leads in hostile territory in each of the first two sets but couldn’t hold on, falling to host No. 8 seed Washington in the second round of the NCAA volleyball tournament Saturday night.

The Gamecocks’ season comes to a close at 20-12, having picked up an NCAA tournament victory for the second season in a row with their upset of No. 10 Colorado State on Friday.

Saturday night’s start by USC senior outside hitter Brittany McLean and some miscues by Washington helped the Gamecocks build an early 10-5 lead in the first set. USC stretched the lead to as many as six when senior middle blocker Claire Edwards and senior opposite hitter Mikayla Shields combined for a block to lead 15-9.

USC still led by five as late as 20-15, but after an Edwards kill gave USC a 22-19 lead, Husky star senior outside hitter Kara Bajema earned five of the next six points by herself with four kills and a block to earn UW a set point at 24-23. After a long rally, Shields hit a cross-court attempt that was called out. South Carolina challenged that it was touched by a Husky player on the way out but, after a lengthy review, the call was inconclusive.

“We thought there was a clear touch but they didn’t see one,” USC coach Tom Mendoza said. “It’s part of the game. It’s a tough time to have that because you don’t get a chance to respond.”

After set two was tied 10-10 early on, South Carolina won nine of the next 12 points to take a commanding 19-13 lead. Two of the key points in their surge came on back-to-back blocks by Edwards of UW junior opposite hitter Samantha Drechsel. Again, Washington rallied.

Junior middle blocker Lauren Sanders had a pair of kills and a block as UW tied the match at 21. After a kill by Shields gave USC a 23-22 lead, two consecutive key service errors denied a chance for the Gamecocks to win the set. Two plays later, UW had escaped with a 26-24 win.

“To be able to come in and beat the number 10 team in the country and feel like we had a shot to beat (Washington) on their home court, when both are really strong teams, makes me really proud of our team,” Mendoza said. “Proud for how they’ve handled the year and the way they’ve prepared.”

Washington charged out to a 7-0 lead early in the third and never looked back, taking it 25-8 as the Gamecocks were unable to keep up their strong play from the first two sets.

Facing a team that ranks 14th in the country with 2.73 blocks per set, the Gamecocks did a great job in the first two sets of keeping their offense away from the fearsome UW blockers. After some early passing struggles in the Colorado State match yesterday, it was instead a strength to help run their offense.

“I think our passers put me in a great position to spread the offense evenly,” senior setter Courtney Koehler said. “(And) then my hitters did a good job of seeing the block and going around it.”

After not making the postseason at all from 2003 through 2017, USC has picked up two of its program’s six NCAA tournament wins in just two years under Mendoza.

“We really strive hard to make the next person’s job better,” Koehler said. “I think what the biggest change over the past for years was the development of a killer mindset and attitude.”

Shields had a team-high 11 kills Saturday, while Edwards added six and was in on all of the Gamecocks’ five blocks. Senior libero Addie Bryant had a team-high 11 digs.

“It’s never going to end well – it always ends with a loss,” Mendoza said. “But I’m incredibly proud of what they achieved.”

Bajema was a major force for Washington, recording 18 kills with a .429 hitting percentage and three blocks. Sanders killed six of her eight attempts for a match-high .750 hitting percentage with two blocks. Senior libero Shayne McPherson had a match-high 12 digs.

Washington (26-5) advances to the regional semifinal and will play ninth-seeded Kentucky next Friday in Waco, Texas.