BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell fell in its first home match of the season, and first of the Hampton Inn and Suites of Holly Springs Invitational, 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-16) to South Carolina on Friday night.
For the second-straight game, Campbell (3-6) was led offensively by junior Katelyn Layden with 12 kills, adding six digs.
Junior Mary Crema dug up 11 Gamecock attacks and added two assists, and freshman Summer Schuitema set up 22 CU kills and totaled 10 digs.
For South Carolina (5-2), Taylr McNiell tallied 15 kills and nine digs, and Mikael Christiaansen put up 20 digs and three assists.
The Gamecocks opened on a 9-2 run fueled by six kills from four players. However, Campbell put up a comeback, going ahead 16-13 after a, 11-4 sprint with kills from Layden, sophomore Jenny Tait, and redshirt senior Jessica Groen, and two service aces from redshirt junior Alexis Hein.
South Carolina didn't trail for long, overtaking the Camels on seven-straight points to lead 22-17.
The Camels mustered another comeback on a 6-1 jump to tie the score at 23 on the back of three Layden kills.
But the run wasn't enough, as two-straight Gamecock kills secured the 25-23 win and the 1-0 lead.
The second set remained neck and neck, with the teams trading points to 11. South Carolina pieced together a 10-2 burst, and didn't look back after taking a 21-14 lead.
The Camels put two more points on the board on a Groen kill and a Gamecock error, but South Carolina secured the second-set win, 25-16, taking a 2-0 lead.
Much like the previous set, the teams traded points to start until the Gamecocks crept ahead, scoring nine points to CU's three to lead 15-9.
The closest Campbell could get to South Carolina was three points, 17-14, but the Gamecocks answered with seven-straight points to lead 24-14.
Groen tacked on a kill for CU and South Carolina committed an attack error, but the Gamecocks closed out the game on a McNeil kill t secure the 25-16 set win and 3-0 game win.
South Carolina totaled 48 kills on 44 assists to CU's 28 kills on 28 kills. The Gamecocks had an attack average of .296, while Campbell hit at a .078 clip.
The two teams are back in action tomorrow in the Invitational, as Campbell takes on North Florida at 12:30 p.m. and Elon at 7 p.m. South Carolina will take on Elon at 10 a.m. and North Florida at 4:30 p.m.
