Nov. 22, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina volleyball team continues its stretch of three straight road matches this weekend as it will take on Georgia in an SEC matchup on Sunday at the Ramsey Center in Athens, Ga.

First serve between the Gamecocks (16-12, 6-9 SEC) and Bulldogs (13-15, 5-11) is set for 1:30 p.m., and the match will be streamed live on the SEC Network+.

MATCH INFORMATION
Sunday: at Georgia, 1:30 p.m. (SEC Network+) | | SEC Network+
On Twitter: @GamecockVolley
Match Notes

South Carolina at a Glance
• The Gamecocks are 16-12 on the season and 6-9 in SEC play.
• Carolina will finish the season with a winning record for just the third time since going 22-7 in 2002.
• The six conference wins match the 2012 team for the most since going 12-8 in 2008.
• The Gamecocks have used 14 different starting lineups this season.
• Junior middle blocker Darian Dozier has started every match, while senior Mikaela Christiaansen has been libero all 28 matches.

A Look Back at the Tennessee Match
• The Gamecocks won at Tennessee for the second straight year, defeating the Lady Vols in five sets 25-22, 15-25, 25-19, 23-25 and 15-9.
• The win snapped a five-match losing streak.
• Carolina has now won consecutive matches in Knoxville for the first time since winning consecutively 3-2 on Nov. 17, 2001 and 3-0 on Nov. 8, 2002.
• Sophomore KoKo Atoa-Williams paced the Gamecocks with her team-leading 10th double-double of the season, finishing with 17 kills and a career-high 27 digs.
• Junior middle blocker Darian Dozier had a very efficient night, finishing with 15 kills while hitting .361.
• Senior libero Mikaela Christiaansen recorded her first career double-double with 22 digs and 10 assists.
• The Gamecocks and Lady Vols both finished with 64 kills on the night. Carolina had the advantage in hitting (.225-.209) and digs (91-81), while Tennessee out-blocked the Gamecocks 8-5.

Gamecocks in the SEC Stats
• South Carolina ranks third in the SEC in blocks per set (2.38) and is first in total blocks (266).
• Carolina is fourth in the SEC opponent hitting percentage (.197).
• The Gamecocks rank second in the conference in digs per set (14.81).
• Junior middle blocker Darian Dozier is fourth in the SEC in blocks per set (1.20). She also ranks second in the conference in total blocks (131).
• Freshman outside hitter Taylr McNeil ranks ninth in the conference in kills per set (3.09) and is second among freshmen.
• Junior setter Kellie McNeil ranks ninth in the SEC in aces per set (0.28).
• Senior libero Mikaela Christiaansen is third in the SEC in digs per set (4.28) and third in total digs (479).

Road Match Notes
• Carolina is 5-5 in road matches this season.
• The win at Tennessee snapped a five-match road losing streak.
• The five road wins are the most during head coach Scott Swanson’s tenure and the most since the Gamecocks won five in 2009.
• Opponents are outhitting the Gamecocks .198-.188 on the road. Carolina is out-blocking its opponents 79-69.
• Carolina is averaging 11.55 kills per set on the road, while opponents are averaging 13.76.
• Under head coach Scott Swanson, the Gamecocks are 14-31 on the road.

A Win this Weekend Would…
• Be the Gamecocks’ seventh SEC win, which would be the most under head coach Scott Swanson and the most since going 12-8 in 2008.
• Be Carolina’s sixth road win, which would be the most since the Gamecocks won seven in 2002.

In the last 10 matches…
• The Gamecocks have a 3-7 record.
• Carolina has been outhit .250-.193.
• The Gamecocks have out-blocked opponents 89-77.
• Carolina has played in five five-set matches and is 1-4 in those matches.
• Junior Sarah Blomgren has been the Gamecocks’ most efficient attacker, hitting .285 while averaging 2.24 kills per set.
• Junior setter Kellie McNeil has the second most blocks on the team with 32, averaging 0.74 per set, and has recorded three double-doubles.
• Sophomore KoKo Atoa-Williams has led the team in kills per set (2.56) and is second in digs per set (2.37).

On this Date
• On Nov. 23, 2012, the Gamecocks outlasted Arkansas in five sets by the scores of 24-26, 25-18, 28-26, 19-25 and 15-10 to wrap up the season with an 18-14 record, the most wins since 2008. Carolina hit .357 for the match, the highest in program history in a five-set match.

Climbing the Single-Season and Career Records Lists
• Junior middle blocker Darian Dozier ranks eighth all-time in block assists at South Carolina with 288. She is 17 block assists away from seventh and 18 away from sixth on the all-time list.
• Dozier has moved to first on the single-season rally scoring era list for total blocks with 131, breaking Belita Salters (2007) record of 128.
• With 121 block assists this season, Dozier has set the rally scoring era record for block assists in a season.
• Dozier’s blocks per set average of 1.20 currently ranks fourth all-time in a single season in the rally scoring era. The record is 1.38 held by Belita Salters (2005).
• Senior libero Mikaela Christiaansen is on pace to post a top-five digs per set average for a single season in the rally scoring era. Her current average of 4.28 ranks fourth ahead of the next closest average of 3.91 by Paige Wheeler (2012).
• Christiaansen’s digs total of 479 ranks third all-time for a single season in the rally scoring era in school history. The record is 523 by Hannah Lawing (2010).
• Christiaansen’s career digs per set average of 3.93 currently ranks third all-time at South Carolina. Fernanda LaLaires (1996-97) holds the record (4.03), while Kori Ermigarat (1994-95) is second with an average of 3.95.

Scouting Georgia
• Georgia enters Sunday’s match with a 13-15 overall record and a 5-11 mark in SEC play.
• The Bulldogs are 4-6 in their last 10 matches.
• Georgia is 8-6 at home this season.
• The Bulldogs are one of the top blocking teams in the league as they rank fourth in blocks per set (2.34).
• Sophomore middle blocker Desiree McCray ranks third in the SEC in blocks per set (1.24).
• Junior middle blocker Jasmine Eaton ranks sixth in the league in hitting percentage (.386) and 18th in blocks per set (0.87).
• Senior outside hitter Tirah Le’au ranks 18th in the SEC in kills per set (2.72) and has recorded 13 double-doubles, the third most in the league. She also ranks 14th in digs per set (2.99).
• Senior setter Kayle Kehoe ranks 10th in the league in assists per set (7.63).
• Senior libero Gaby Smiley leads the team and ranks ninth in the SEC in digs per set (3.50).

Series History vs. Georgia
• Sunday’s matchup will be the 66th all-time between South Carolina and Georgia.
• The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 47-18.
• South Carolina is 3-7 in its last 10 matches vs. Georgia.
• The Gamecocks are 7-20 all-time in matches played in Athens.
• South Carolina’s last win at Georgia was a 3-0 victory on Oct. 16, 2009.
• Under head coach Scott Swanson, the Gamecocks are 2-3 vs. Georgia.

Last Time vs. Georgia – Nov. 10, 2013
• The Gamecocks lost in three sets at Georgia by the scores of 25-16, 25-11 and 25-19.
• Georgia outhit Carolina .436-.057 and held the advantage in kills (42-28), digs (29-22) and blocks (6-4).
• Sarah Blomgren paced the Gamecocks with 10 kills, while Darian Dozier added seven kills and two blocks.
• Tirah Le’au led Georgia with 10 kills, while Brittany Northcutt pitched in nine kills and six digs.

Block Party
• Blocking has been a key to the Gamecocks’ success this season as they rank third in the SEC in blocks per set (2.38). The average is Carolina’s best since averaging 2.41 blocks per set in 2006.
• The Gamecocks have 266 total blocks this season, which is the most by a Carolina team since recording 296 in 2006.
• Junior middle blocker Darian Dozier is fourth in the SEC in blocks per set (1.20).
• South Carolina recorded 17 blocks vs. Eastern Kentucky, its most since recording 20 vs. St. Johns on Sept. 8, 2006.
• Sophomore middle blocker Jacqy Angermiller tallied a career-high 11 blocks (all block assists) vs. Eastern Kentucky, which is tied for the second most block assists in a five-set match in school history and the fourth most total blocks in a five-set match.
• Carolina has out-blocked its opponents in 19 of 28 matches. The Gamecocks are 12-7 in those matches.
• The Gamecocks have out-blocked opponents 161-109 in wins and 105-95 in losses.

Winning the Hitting Battle
• When outhitting opponents, the Gamecocks are 12-0 on the season.
• Carolina is outhitting opponents .247-.159 in wins and is being outhit .243-.153 in losses.
• In conference matches, the Gamecocks are being outhit .236-.198.
• The Gamecocks have held opponents to a below a .150 hitting percentage 10 times in 28 matches.
• Carolina has won four matches when being outhit, vs. Georgia Tech (.258-.269), vs. Ole Miss (.184-.189), vs. Auburn (.211-.221) and vs. Missouri (.358-.370).