Mercer University
0-1
South Carolina
1-0
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Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Bears Fall to Gamecocks in Season Opener
8/25/2017 10:12:00 PM | Volleyball
Columbia, S.C. – Mercer fell to South Carolina, 3-0, in its season-opening match and its first contest at the Gamecock Invitational. Set finals were 17-25, 24-26, 19-25.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 (17-25) | Mercer could not overcome a 13-3 run by the Gamecocks in the opening set of the season. Despite a pair of aces from Amber Gibson and Claire Waliczek, the Bears did not find their offensive rhythm until later on in the match.
Set 2 (24-26) | Mercer turned up the offensive intensity in the second set, hitting .353 as a team, but dropped a tight 24-26 decision. The Bears led 23-22 after a kill by Paige Alsten off the set from Waliczek. However, South Carolina notched three of the final four points in the set coming out of a timeout.
Set 3 (19-25) | After hard-fought first and second sets, Mercer held close but could not pull out the third and final set. The Bears claimed three straight points, including kills by Emily Krogman and Taylor Spence, to cut South Carolina's lead to 10-9 early on. Another late run, keyed by an ace from Bailey Noon, pulled Mercer within four points but to no avail.
NOTABLES
- Krogman led the Bears with 11 kills, seven digs and two blocks.
- Gabbi Meyering added a pair of blocks.
- Alsten connected on eight of her 13 attacks (.385).
- Claire Waliczek totaled 32 of Mercer's 35 assists.
COACH SCHROEDER'S TAKE
"We took a solid step today by learning more about who we are and the identity we want to have," said head coach Derek Schroeder. "We had some very good individual performances but most importantly we are focused on growing into a team that knows who it is and what makes us successful."
RECORD UPDATE
- Mercer: 0-1
- South Carolina: 1-0
UP NEXT
Mercer will play a pair of matches against North Florida and Troy at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, Saturday. Both matches are part of the Gamecock Invitational.
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Volleyball, please follow the Bears on social media at@MercerBearsVB (Twitter), and @mercervolleyball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
