Alabama
South Carolina
Volleyball Falls in Three at South Carolina
11/6/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 6, 2011
COLUBMIA, S.C. - The Alabama volleyball team wrapped up a two-game Southeastern Conference road trip with a 3-0 (14-25, 26-28, 22-25) loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday afternoon from the Volleyball Competition Facility. With the loss, the Crimson Tide falls to 11-16 overall, 4-12 in SEC play, while the Gamecocks improve to 12-13 overall, 3-12 in conference play.
Three players had a double-double for the Tide, as Kayla Fitterer and Andrea McQuaid did it in kills and digs and Stephanie Riley did it in assists and digs. Alabama finished the match with a .149 hitting percentage, converting 36 of 121 attempts with 18 errors. The Gamecocks hit .216, posting 44 kills on 125 attempts with 17 errors. Alabama finished the day with five blocks, while South Carolina posted seven blocks against the Tide.
Kayla Fitterer led the Tide with a match-high 12 kills and added 11 digs for her 13th double-double of the season. Andrea McQuaid notched her 15th double-double of the season with 11 kills and a team-high 15 digs. Riley posted a season-high 30 assists, while adding 10 digs to post her eighth double-double of the season. Cristina Arenas added 11 digs in the match, as four members of the Tide reached double-digits in digs.
South Carolina controlled the opening set, outhitting the Tide .500 to .136 en route to a 25-14 win. SC's Thevenin had a set-high five kills, while Fitterer paced UA with four kills in the opening set. Thevenin finished the day with 10 kills.
The second set saw the Crimson Tide open a 16-10 lead, only to see the Gamecocks rally back to even the set at 21-21 following a kills by Hanna Forst. Forst would go onto finished the day with a team-high 12 kills. Alabama had set point at 24-22, but a service error and an attack error allowed the Gamecocks to even the set at 24-24. With the set tied at 26, a kill by South Carolina's Thevenin and an attack error by the Tide resulted in a 2-0 lead in the match for the Gamecocks.
The Tide fell behind 8-1 to open the third set, but chipped away at the SC advantage to even the set at 22-22 following a kill by McQuaid. With the score tied, South Carolina scored on three straight serves to take home the match in three sets, and even the season series between the two schools.
Next week, Alabama returns to Foster Auditorium for its final two home matches of the 2011 season, when the Tide hosts a pair of ranked opponents in Kentucky and Tennessee. UA opens the week with a Nov. 11, match against the No. 19 ranked Kentucky Wildcats with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, will be senior day for the volleyball team when it takes on the No. 16 ranked Tennessee Lady Vols at 1 p.m. Alabama will recognize senior setter Stephanie Riley in a pregame ceremony.
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