Nov. 13, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina volleyball team has its first split weekend of the season as it will play at Arkansas on Friday and host Auburn on Sunday.

First serve between the Gamecocks (15-10, 5-7 SEC) and Razorbacks (13-13, 7-6) is set for 8 p.m. ET at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. Sunday’s match against the Tigers (11-15, 3-10) is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Carolina Volleyball Center. A Senior Day ceremony will be held on Sunday for seniors Mikaela Christiaansen and Caroline Cann. The match will be streamed live on the SEC Network+.

WEEKEND INFORMATION
Friday: at Arkansas, 8 p.m.
Sunday: Auburn, 1:30 p.m.| SEC Network+ |
On Twitter: @GamecockVolley
Tickets: Ticket Info | Promotions | Parking
Weekend Notes

South Carolina at a Glance
• The Gamecocks are 15-10 on the season and 5-7 in SEC play.
• Carolina lost its last three matches.
• The Gamecocks have used 13 different starting lineups this season.
• Junior middle blocker Darian Dozier has started every match, while senior Mikaela Christiaansen has been libero all 25 matches.

A Look Back at Last Weekend
• The Gamecocks lost their only match last weekend, falling to Alabama in five sets by the scores of 25-23, 25-22, 24-26, 21-25 and 15-10.
• With the fifth set tied at 4-4, Alabama used a 7-2 run to build an 11-6 lead and held on for the win.
• Sophomore KoKo Atoa-Williams recorded her team-leading eighth double-double of the season, finishing with 14 kills and 12 digs and matching her career high with four blocks.
• Sophomore defensive specialist Megan Kirkland tallied a career-high 17 digs.
• Junior right side Sarah Blomgren finished with 13 kills while hitting .370.
• As a team, Alabama outhit the Gamecocks .236-.182 and held the advantage in kills (75-46) and digs (64-59), while Carolina out-blocked the Crimson Tide 11-8.

Senior Salute
• Sunday’s match against Auburn has been designated as Senior Day for libero Mikaela Christiaansen and outside hitter Caroline Cann.
• Christiaansen has played in 56 career matches for the Gamecocks heading into this weekend, and her career digs per set average of 3.91 currently ranks third all-time at South Carolina.
• Cann has played in three matches this season. She joined the team this fall after running track for the Gamecocks last season.
• A Senior Day ceremony will be held at the conclusion of Sunday’s match.

Gamecocks in the SEC Stats
• South Carolina leads the SEC in blocks per set (2.52) and total blocks (244).
• Carolina is second in the SEC opponent hitting percentage (.191).
• The Gamecocks rank second in the conference in digs per set (14.85).
• Junior middle blocker Darian Dozier is third in the SEC in blocks per set (1.29). She also ranks second in the conference in total blocks (121).
• Freshman outside hitter Taylr McNeil ranks ninth in the conference in kills per set (3.23) and is second among freshmen.
• Junior setter Kellie McNeil ranks fourth in the SEC in aces per set (0.30).
• Senior libero Mikaela Christiaansen is third in the SEC in digs per set (4.28) and third in total digs (415).

Road Match Notes
• Carolina is 4-4 in road matches this season.
• The Gamecocks have lost their last four road matches.
• Five of the Gamecocks’ eight road matches have been three-set matches. Carolina is 3-2 in those matches.
• Opponents are outhitting the Gamecocks .193-.186 on the road. Carolina is out-blocking its opponents 68-53.
• Under head coach Scott Swanson, the Gamecocks are 13-30 on the road.

Home Match Notes
• The Gamecocks are 9-4 at the Carolina Volleyball Center this season, with all three of those losses being to ranked teams (No. 14 Kentucky, No. 8 Florida and No. 20 Texas A&M).
• Carolina has outhit opponents .220-.202 at home and out-blocked opponents 139-96.
• Under head coach Scott Swanson, the Gamecocks are 36-24 at home.

A Win this Weekend Would…
• Guarantee Carolina just its third winning season since going 22-7 to make the NCAA Tournament in 2002. The Gamecocks went 21-9 in 2008 and 18-14 in 2012.
• Be head coach Scott Swanson’s 60th career win at South Carolina. He is currently 59-58 in four years with the Gamecocks. The 59 wins are the fourth most in school history.
• Be the Gamecocks’ sixth SEC win, matching the 2012 team’s six conference wins for the most since going 12-8 in 2008.

In the last 10 matches…
• The Gamecocks have a 3-7 record.
• Carolina has been outhit .249-.182.
• The Gamecocks have out-blocked opponents 89-81.
• Freshman outside hitter Taylr McNeil has led the team with an average of 2.59 kills per set and has two double-doubles
• Junior setter Kellie McNeil has averaged a team-best 6.54 assists per set and is averaging 1.17 kills per set. She has also recorded three double-doubles.
• Junior middle blocker Darian Dozier has averaged a team best 0.95 blocks per set to go along with 1.93 kills per set.
• Senior libero Mikaela Christiaansen has averaged 4.10 digs per set.

On this Date
• On Nov. 14, 1981, the Gamecocks defeated rival Clemson in three sets by the scores of 16-6, 15-4 and 15-4 in the Smoky Mountain Classic in Knoxville, Tenn.
• On Nov. 16, 2012, Carolina pulled out a win in five sets over Alabama in Tuscaloosa by the scores of 25-20, 25-21, 17-25, 20-25 and 15-7. Outside hitter Juliette Thévenin paced the Gamecocks with 27 kills, 16 digs and six blocks.

Climbing the Single-Season and Career Records Lists
• Junior middle blocker Darian Dozier ranks ninth all-time in block assists at South Carolina with 279.
• With 112 block assists this season, Dozier set the rally scoring era record for block assists in a season.
• Dozier has also moved to second on the single-season rally scoring era list for total blocks with 121. The school record is 128 (Belita Salters – 2007).
• Dozier’s blocks per set average of 1.29 currently ranks second 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 4.38 rank fourth ahead of the next closest average of 3.91 by Paige Wheeler (2012).
• Christiaansen’s digs total of 415 ranks fourth all-time for a single season in the rally scoring era in school history.
• Christiaansen’s career digs per set average of 3.91 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 Arkansas
• Arkansas enters Friday’s matchup with a 13-13 record, including a 7-6 mark in the SEC.
• The Razorbacks are 5-5 in their last 10 matches and have won two straight.
• The Razorbacks are 8-5 at home this season.
• Arkansas ranks third in the SEC in blocks per set (2.38).
• Senior outside hitter Meredith Hays, a 2013 All-SEC selection, leads the league in kills per set (4.39). Hays also has 10 double-doubles, which is the sixth most in the league.
• Freshman setter Bailee Hankenson ranks eighth in the league in assists per set (9.40).
• Junior middle blocker Chanell Clark-Bibbs leads the team and ranks seventh in the SEC in blocks per set (1.04).
• Junior libero Monica Bollinger leads the team and ranks seventh in the SEC in digs per set (3.82).

Series History vs. Arkansas
• Friday’s match will be the 33rd meeting all-time between South Carolina and Arkansas.
• Arkansas leads the all-time series 22-10.
• The Gamecocks are 2-8 in their last 10 matches against Arkansas.
• South Carolina is 4-11 all-time in Fayetteville.
• The Gamecocks’ last road win in the series was a five-set decision on Sept. 28, 2008.
• The Gamecocks are 1-4 vs. Arkansas under head coach Scott Swanson.

Last Time vs. Arkansas – Nov. 22, 2013
• The Gamecocks fell in three sets to the Razorbacks by the scores of 25-13, 25-21 and 25-14 at Barnhill Arena.
• Dessaa Legros paced the Gamecocks with eight kills.
• The Razorbacks finished the night with the edge in hitting (.374-.109), kills (46-30) and digs (39-25).
• Meredith Hays led Arkansas with 12 kills.

Scouting Auburn
• Auburn enters the weekend at 11-15 overall and 3-10 in the SEC.
• The Tigers are 2-8 in their last 10 matches.
• Auburn is 1-8 on the road this season.
• The Tigers have been outhit .203-.182 this season.
• Auburn ranks third in the SEC in digs per set (14.78).
• Freshman Courtney Crable has been the Tigers’ top attacker with an average of 2.76 kills per set, which ranks 15th in the SEC.
• Freshman setter Alexa Filley is seventh in the SEC in assists per set (10.01). She also has 14 double-doubles, the second most in the league.
• Junior Alyssa Ivey ranks sixth in the SEC in digs per set (3.85).

Series History vs. Auburn
• Sunday’s meeting will be the 37th all-time.
• Carolina leads the all-time series 22-14.
• Auburn has won seven of the last 10 meetings.
• The Gamecocks are 10-8 all-time at home vs. Auburn.
• Auburn has won the last two meetings in Columbia.
• Carolina’s last win over the Tigers at home was a 3-1 win on Nov. 18, 2011.
• The Gamecocks are 1-4 vs. Auburn under head coach Scott Swanson.

Last Time vs. Auburn – Oct. 5, 2014
• The Gamecocks won at Auburn in five sets earlier this season by the scores of 25-23, 25-23, 21-25, 22-25 and 15-10.
• As a team, the Gamecocks had an 11-8 advantage in blocks, while Auburn held the edge in hitting (.221-.211), kills (73-56) and digs (61-60).
• It was Carolina’s first win at Auburn since Oct. 19, 2008.
• Sophomore KoKo Atoa-Williams matched her career high with 18 kills and had 12 digs to lead the Gamecocks.
• Emily Klitzke led Auburn with 18 kills.

Searching for a Triple-Double
• A Gamecock player has not recorded a triple-double since the 2005 season. Iris Santos was the last to do so, as she finished with 57 assists, 13 digs and 12 kills against Houston on Sept. 16, 2005.
• Junior setter Kellie McNeil has come close to ending the drought on three occasions, including last season’s match vs. Coastal Carolina (10/30/13) with 52 assists, 12 digs and nine blocks. She finished with 38 assists, 10 kills, nine digs and six blocks against Ole Miss this season (9/26). In last year’s match at Tennessee (9/29/13), she had 41 assists, 20 digs and seven blocks.

Block Party
• Blocking has been a key to the Gamecocks’ success this season as they rank first in the SEC in blocks per set (2.52).
• Junior middle blocker Darian Dozier is third in the SEC in blocks per set (1.29).
• South Carolina recorded 17 blocks vs. Eastern Kentucky, its most since recording 20 vs. St. Johns on Sept. 8, 2006.
• 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 18 of 25 matches. The Gamecocks are 12-6 in those matches.
• The Gamecocks have out-blocked opponents 156-101 in wins and 88-79 in losses.

Winning the Hitting Battle
• When outhitting opponents, the Gamecocks are 11-0 on the season.
• Carolina is outhitting opponents .249-.154 in wins and is being outhit .242-.146 in losses.
• In conference matches, the Gamecocks are being outhit .237-.199.
• The Gamecocks have held opponents to a below a .150 hitting percentage 10 times in 25 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).

Packing the CVC
• South Carolina ranks fourth in the SEC and 30th nationally in average attendance at the Carolina Volleyball Center (1,308).
• The Gamecocks have played in front of 1,000 or more fans in 10 of their 13 home matches.
• Eight of this year’s 13 home crowds rank in the top 10 in CVC history.
• The crowd of 1,807 for the Ole Miss match is a CVC record.