Sept. 11, 2003

Columbia, S.C. –
Carolina volleyball returns to action this weekend as they travel to South Bend, Ind. for the Shamrock Invitational hosted by the University Notre Dame. The Gamecocks are 2-4 and will play their first match of the tournament against Utah (4-2) at 4:30 (CT) on Friday, Sept. 12. USC is also scheduled to play Indiana (4-2) at 4:30 (CT) on Saturday and No. 21 Notre Dame (5-1) on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. (CT).

This marks the first meeting between Carolina and Utah. The Utes have a four-match win streak, including a 3-0 victory over then-ranked No. 18 Missouri. Leading the way for Utah is senior all-america candidate Kim Turner, who was named MVP at Utah’s Hampton Inn Volleyball Classic. Turner enters the tournament with 87 kills and .266 hitting percentage. She also leads the team in digs and blocks.

Carolina is 0-4 against the Hoosiers and fell 3-0 in their last meeting back in 1999. In four meetings, USC has only won one game against Indiana. The Hoosiers are coming off of a 3-2 loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay. Christina Archibald is averaging 4.42 kills per game with 106 total kills so far this season. Indiana also posts the highest team hitting percentage at the tournament with a .259 average.

No. 21 Notre Dame and the Gamecocks have only met once and the Fighting Irish won that match 3-0, back in 1996. Notre Dame is 5-1 and just defeated Valparaiso 3-0 on Tuesday night. Emily Loomis is averaging 4.13 kills per game with a .410 hitting percentage. Lauren Kelbley is averaging 3.64 kills per game and leads the team in blocking. After they opened the season with a 3-1 upset over No. 10 Arizona, Notre Dame’s only loss came to No. 5 Pepperdine.