Gamecock Olympic Sports Report: August 18 to August 24

In 2024, it wasn’t until Sept. 20 that either of South Carolina’s soccer programs suffered a regular-season defeat. The Gamecock men’s soccer team’s 2-1 loss to Marshall that day ended a combined 14-match unbeaten run for both squads.

They are on the right track towards equaling that milestone early in 2025. South Carolina’s men’s and women’s soccer teams have won all five matches they have contested this season, scoring 10 goals and allowing just three. That positive momentum will bode well for both squads, which will face Clemson at some point over the next four days.

But before the first round of Palmetto Series matchups begins, here’s everything that happened with the Gamecocks’ Olympic sports programs this past week.

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Women’s soccer continues perfect start to season with two more wins

Thursday served as South Carolina’s biggest challenge of the season thus far. The Gamecocks were taking on Ohio State, a top-25 team looking to earn an upset on the road at Stone Stadium.

The Buckeyes proved to be more dangerous on offense over the course of 90 minutes. Even though the two teams registered a similar number of shots on goal (four), Ohio State mustered 13 total shots to the Gamecocks’ 10.

But the scoreboard told a different story. South Carolina won the contest 1-0, with the game-deciding goal coming within a minute of the second half beginning.

Sophomore defender Madden McDonald dribbled down the left flank, cut back towards the center of the field and unleashed a picture-perfect cross that found freshman forward Mackenzie Johnson on the edge of the six-yard box. Using her head, Johnson directed the bouncing effort into the back of the net 46 seconds into the half.

The Gamecocks’ Sunday afternoon match against Miami-Ohio, however, was a much different story.

That game proved to be a masterclass for South Carolina’s defense, which did not allow the RedHawks to direct a single on- or off-target shot towards goal. The Gamecocks’ offense, meanwhile, recorded 16 total shots, eight of which were on frame.

South Carolina opened the scoring on a well-orchestrated set piece in the 10th minute. Senior defenders Micah Bryant and Gracie Falla lined up to take a free kick deep in their attacking half; after Bryant ran by the ball without touching it, Falla passed it into her direction when a defensive mark didn’t follow her. Bryant then rifled a cross to sophomore forward Katie Shea Collins, who flicked a near-post header into the goal.

Junior midfielder Cuyler Zulauf later solidified the result with a 47th-minute goal from the penalty spot.

Men’s soccer opens campaign in win column after five-goal thriller

The Gamecocks began the day on Aug. 21 with three of their players being named to Top Drawer Soccer’s preseason national rankings of college soccer’s top 100 individual talents: senior midfielder Alexander Stjernegaard (No. 65), senior midfielder Ethan Ballek (No. 72) and sophomore midfielder Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez (No. 80).

They finished the day with their first result of the season — a 3-2 road win over the College of Charleston.

Both teams remained off the scoreboard until the 71st minute, when sixth-year defender Andrew Goldsworthy put South Carolina ahead with a close-range finish. The Gamecocks held onto the lead for only five minutes before the Cougars found an equalizer.

South Carolina, though, immediately responded. Just 26 seconds after Charleston’s Ben Bagshaw found the back of the net, junior midfielder Mika Habel scored a goal of his own at the other end of the pitch. And then, Stjernegaard opened his goalscoring account for the Gamecocks with what would be the game-winner in the 84th minute.

Hogan Walker cut South Carolina’s lead to one in the 86th minute, but it proved to be merely a consolation goal, as the Gamecocks headed back to Columbia with all three points in tow.

South Carolina diver stars in international tournament

The South Carolina swimming and diving program has yet to release a schedule for the 2025-26 season, but senior diver Sophie Verzyl has been busy honing her craft this summer.

Verzyl has already experienced success on the national stage since the end of last school year, claiming a gold medal in the 3-meter at the USA Diving National Championships. She carried that positive momentum into the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay, where she earned two more top prizes.

Verzyl increased her summer gold medal tally to three by winning both the 1-meter and 3-meter events at the Games. She, alongside TCU’s Anna Kwong, also finished second in the 3-meter synchro, giving her a silver medal in that event.

With her victories, Verzyl automatically qualified for the 2027 Pan American Games, which will take place from July 16 to Aug. 1 in Lima, Peru.

Men’s tennis releases fall 2025 schedule

The dynamic of college tennis differs depending on the time of year. While the spring season is dedicated more towards team-oriented competition, the fall is more individualized — much like it is in the professional ranks.

With college tennis action beginning in less than a month, head men’s tennis coach Josh Goffi revealed the Gamecocks’ fall 2025 schedule this past Thursday.

South Carolina will begin the campaign split between two different tournaments in late September. The Carolina Classic will take place at the Carolina Indoor Tennis Center in Columbia from Sept. 19-21, while the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma — which will allow competing players to qualify for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships — will last from Sept. 20-28.

Those NCAA tournaments, featuring 64 singles competitors and 32 doubles tandems, will end the season on Nov. 17-23.

South Carolina’s full fall schedule can be found here.

Gamecocks in action this week

• Thursday, Aug. 26: Men’s soccer at Clemson (7 p.m., ACC Network)
• Thursday, Aug. 28: Women’s soccer at Clemson (7 p.m., ACC Network Extra)
• Friday, Aug. 29: Women’s cross country — Covered Bridge Open (9:15 a.m., not televised)
• Friday, Aug. 29: Volleyball vs. ETSU (6 p.m., SEC Network+)
• Friday, Aug. 29: Men’s soccer vs. USC Upstate (7 p.m., ESPN+)
• Saturday, Aug. 30: Volleyball vs. Campbell (4 p.m., SEC Network+)
• Sunday, Aug. 31: Volleyball vs. Clemson (2 p.m., SEC Network+)
• Sunday, Aug. 31: Women’s soccer vs. Georgia State (6 p.m., SEC Network+)

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