Sept. 29, 2001

STARKVILLE, MS- The 18th ranked South Carolina volleyball team improved to 8-1 on the year, 2-1 in SEC play with a 3-0 sweep of the Mississippi State Bulldogs tonight in Starkville. Game scores were 30-20, 31-29 and 30-19. It was Carolina’s 12th straight win over the Bulldogs, a streak that began in November 1994.

In the opening game, Carolina hit .500, led by Yajaira Cadet’s four kills. Berna Dwyer and Niece Curry each added three kills. The second game was a fierce struggle, as the Gamecocks had to rally twice from large deficits. Trailing 8-3, Carolina tied the game at 20, and then took the lead for the first time at 21-20. The two teams went back and forth with the lead, until Nadia Sefferovich’s service ace provided the game winner for a 31-29 game two final.

In game three, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but Carolina answered to take the lead at 4-3, which they would never relinquish.

“Yajaira had a great match tonight,” Head Coach Kim Christopher said. “We started out great in game one, then we struggled a little in game two, but we showed great character and competitiveness in coming back to win. We beat a fine Mississippi State team.”

The Gamecocks were led offensively by Yajaira Cadet, who had 12 kills, while Sam Alban provided nine. Junior right-side hitter Cally Plummer had seven kills, the first time all season that she did not have at least 10 in a match. The Gamecocks hit .314 as a team for the match.

The Gamecocks are next in action this Sunday when they travel to Oxford to take on the Ole Miss Rebels at 2:00 p.m.