Oct. 24, 2002

Columbia, S.C. – The 21st-ranked South Carolina volleyball team has a challenging weekend ahead as they attempt to maintain their undefeated SEC record and host the Georgia Bulldogs and the third-ranked Florida Gators. The Gamecocks (16-3, 9-0) take on the Bulldogs at 7 p.m. on Fri., Oct. 25, and the Gators are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27. Both matches are at the Volleyball Competition Facility, adjacent to the Carolina Coliseum. Both matches can be heard on internet broadcast at www.uscsports.com.

“This is a very exciting weekend for us. We are excited to play at home. Fans will see some great matches this weekend,” said head coach Kim Christopher. “It is important for us to take one match at a time, stay focused during each match and play our game. We need to make sure we are well prepared for Georgia, they are always well prepared for us. They always play us hard.”

Against the Bulldogs, Carolina is 10-33, but have won the last two meetings. The Gamecocks won 3-0 in both matches last year. Under Coach Christopher, the Gamecocks are 9-11 and in Columbia, 5-4 against Georgia. Georgia is 14-9 and 4-4 in the SEC. They lost their last two matches, falling to Arkansas and LSU last weekend.

The Gators (18-1, 8-0 SEC) are the only other undefeated team in the SEC this season and lead the series against Carolina 26-6. Their lone loss was against top-ranked Southern California. Florida also now holds the NCAA record for most consecutive conference wins, 106. The last team to beat the Gators was South Carolina in 1994.

South Carolina is also in the middle of a 10-match win streak, its longest since the 2000 season. The 9-0 SEC start ties the school record for best start in conference play.

Friday night is “Scout Night”. All Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts that come in uniform get free admission into the match. Sunday’s match will feature a Halloween costume contest and all fans that dress in costume get free admission.