COLUMBIA, S.C. – Clemson finished with three Tigers hitting double-digit kills, including junior Azyah Dailey tying her career high of 15, but it wasn’t enough as the Tigers fell to South Carolina in four sets (20-25, 29-27, 15-25, 19-25) in the 2023 Palmetto Series presented by the South Carolina Education Lottery. The loss moves Clemson to 2-1 on the year.
South Carolina had control of the match early taking the Tigers out of system. Dailey kept Clemson alive, clocking six kills in the opening frame. The Tigers pulled together to pull within two points after Mia McGrath, who finished with 10 kills, and Adria Powell clocked back-to-back kills to make it 20-18 in the Gamecocks favor, but South Carolina went on a 5-2 run to take set one, 25-20.
Starting the second where she left off in the first, Dailey clocked three quick kills for the Tigers. Freshman Kennedy Wagner, who was the third Tiger to finish in double-digit kills with 10, followed with three of her own as the Tigers jumped out to a 7-1 advantage. The Tigers went on another long run scoring five points off kills from Kate Simington, Wagner and McGrath. The Gamecocks tied things up at 22-all, and the two programs traded points with McGrath and Powell keeping Clemson alive to allow the Tigers to take the set, 29-27.
The Gamecocks jumped out to another early lead in the third that Clemson closed in on with a kill from Kate Simington. Despite the Tigers getting kills from Slavik, Dailey and Wagner, they dropped set three, 25-15.
Clemson and South Carolina traded scoring runs in the fourth set. The Gamecocks jumped ahead but kills from Simington and a solo block from Wagner forced South Carolina to call timeout. A block from Powell and Slavik pulled Clemson back within one point, 18-17, but the Gamecocks went on a 7-2 run to take the set, and ultimately the match.
Mckenna Slavik led the Tigers with 37 assists and 16 digs, while Devan Taylor added 13 digs and Powell finished with a team-high four blocks, all assisted.
Up Next
The Tigers return home for a three-game tournament when they welcome Western Carolina, South Alabama and Green Bay to town for the Clemson Invitational. Clemson’s first match of the weekend is slated for 5 p.m. on Friday evening on ACCNX against Western Carolina.
