Dec. 7, 2005

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced the AVCA All-Region Teams Wednesday, and South Carolina’s Shonda Cole earned honorable mention to the South All-Region Team.

A junior outside hitter, Cole led the Gamecocks in attack percentage (.281), kills and kills per game (4.18) for the 2005 season. She was named second team All-SEC for the second consecutive year, and this marks the first time she has earned recognition for an AVCA All-Region Team.

The Kings Mountain, N.C. native finished the season with 414 kills, marking only the fourth Gamecock to ever reach 400 kills in a single season. She currently ranks tenth among USC’s all-time leaders in career kills with 1,072. Cole ranks third in the SEC in kills per game this season for all matches and eighth in the same category for conference matches only.

Cole reached double-figures in kills in all but three matches this season, including six 20-kill matches. She also recorded a career high 16 digs, in the match against LSU.

This marks the first Gamecock to earn All-AVCA recognition since 2002 when Cally Plummer, Megan Hosp and Niece Curry were named to All-Region teams.

The Gamecocks finished the 2005 season with a 13-14 overall record and went 5-11 in the SEC. USC posted its first winning home record since 2002 as they went 6-4 at the Competition Facility.