April 22, 2004
* South Carolina advances to face #2 Florida on Friday at 1:15 p.m. (CT). The Gamecocks fell to Florida, 5-2, earlier this season, in Gainesville, on April 10.
* The win was Carolina’s first conference win since 2002, when USC notched a 4-2 win over Arkansas.
* This was the second time in three years where Carolina won in the first round in an upset win over a team who beat the Gamecocks in the regular season.
* South Carolina and Vanderbilt sat through a two hour and 16 minute delay for inclimate weather as the remainder of the first day’s action was moved indoors.
* South Carolina is now 2-0 against Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament, all-time. Prior to 2004, Vanderbiult and USC have met once before, with Carolina notching a 4-1 win in the first round of the 1998 SEC Tournament.
* Tom Eklund’s 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles over #101 Zach Dailey was his fourth victory over a ranked opponent this season. Eklund is now 4-4 against ranked opponents this season. Eklund fell to Dailey on March 7, 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (9) in the Gamecocks’ 6-1 loss to the Commodores.
* Carl Wermee’s 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) victory over 74th-ranked Scott Brown was his third victory over a ranked opponent this season, out of five matches. His 3-2 record vs. ranked opponents leads the team. Wermee marked the same revenge as Eklund, as he fell to Brown earlier this season, 6-4, 6-0 when Brown was ranked 52nd in the nation.
* The 6-4, 7-6 (5) win by Pedro Rodrigues was his first win where the clinching set was won in a tiebreaker this season. The win also clinched the 4-3 match win for Carolina.
Friday’s Lineup
#5 LSU vs. #4 Kentucky – 8 a.m. (CT)
#8 Auburn vs. #1 Ole Miss – 9:45 a.m. (CT)
#11 Mississippi State vs. #3 Georgia – 11:30 a.m. (CT)
#10 South Carolina vs. #2 Florida – 1:15 p.m. (CT)
