Nov. 21, 2002

COLUMBIA, S.C. – – After compiling one of the most successful regular season records in school history and setting the best Southeastern Conference record in school history, the 2002 South Carolina Gamecock Volleyball squad (21-5, 14-2 SEC) heads to the SEC Tournament this week. Carolina, a No. 2 seed in the tournament – their highest seed in school history – will face the seventh-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide Friday morning at 11:30 a.m. at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.

South Carolina defeated the Crimson Tide twice this year, with 3-0 wins coming at Columbia and in Tuscaloosa. The Gamecocks lead the all-time series against Alabama 11-10.

That match will mark the 300th match Kim Christopher has coached in her tenure as the Carolina head coach. Christopher is currently 201-98 and in her 10th year at the helm of the Gamecock program.

Should the Gamecocks win Friday, they will face the winner of the sixth-seeded Tennessee vs. third-seeded Arkansas match on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. South Carolina is currently ranked 18th in the AVCA/USA Today poll.

South Carolina has made the SEC Tournament every year since joining the SEC in 1991. Carolina has an 8-11 all-time record in the SEC Tournament. In 2001, the Gamecocks went 1-1, defeating host-Tennessee 3-2 before falling to Arkansas 3-1. Carolina has only faced Alabama once in the SEC Tournament, notching a 3-0 win back in 1994.

All-time, in the SEC Tournament, South Carolina has winning records against three of the other seven teams competing in this year’s tournament. The Gamecocks are 1-0 against Louisiana State and 1-0 against Tennessee. Carolina is 0-4 against Arkansas, 0-2 against Florida, 0-2 against Georgia, and 0-1 against Kentucky in past SEC Tournaments.

Six seniors, including the school’s career service ace leader Cally Plummer, who currently has 232 aces in her four years at USC, lead the 2002 Carolina team.