Oct. 17, 2002

For the first time since September 9, the South Carolina Volleyball (14-3, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) team is back in the national rankings. In the most recent poll by the AVCA and USA Today, the Gamecocks are ranked 24th in the national rankings and are ranked second in the South Region, right behind SEC East foe Florida (16-1, 6-0 SEC), who is ranked third in the nation.

In the September 9 poll, Carolina was ranked 23rd prior to dropping matches to San Diego and Long Beach State. Since then, the Gamecocks have gone undefeated and have only lost four of the past 28 games within that streak. South Carolina is currently in the middle of their second best conference start in school history and has maintained a half-game lead over Florida in the SEC East.

South Carolina is trying to make its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in the past eight years and their third straight. The Gamecocks travel to Auburn and Alabama this weekend. Carolina takes on the Tigers on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. and then travel to Tuscaloosa to face the Crimson Tide on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.