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Nov. 9, 2006

Weekly Notes in PDF Format
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ON TAP THIS WEEK

South Carolina (12-15, 5-11 SEC) vs. Kentucky (16-8, 9-7 SEC)
Nov. 10 • Columbia, S.C. • 7 p.m. ET
Live Stats: • Radio/Audio: • TV/Video: None

South Carolina (12-15, 5-11 SEC) vs. Tennessee (17-9, 8-8 SEC)
Nov. 12 • Columbia, S.C. • 2 p.m. ET
Live Stats: • Radio/Audio: • TV/Video: CSS

ABOUT THE WEEK

SETTING THE SCENE: The South Carolina volleyball team (12-15, 5-11 SEC) will play four of its final five regular-season matches at home, beginning with a 7 p.m. contest against the Kentucky Wildcats (16-8, 9-7 SEC) on Friday. The Gamecocks then host the Tennessee Lady Volunteers (17-9, 8-8 SEC) on Sunday at 2 p.m. in a match set to air live on Comcast/Charter Sports SouthEast. South Carolina will host Senior Day on Sunday and honor Shonda Cole, Crystal Johnson, Iris Santos, Alexcis Thomson and Lynae Vanden Hull.

ABOUT KENTUCKY: Kentucky prospered under then-first-year coach Craig Skinner in 2005 and has done the same this season. The Wildcats are in sole possession of second place in the SEC East with a 9-7 record and are in fourth place overall. UK enters Friday’s match having won four straight, including a pair of key victories over Tennessee and Alabama last week. The Wildcats boast one of the league’s top middle blockers in Nicole Britenriker, who averages 3.87 kills, 2.66 digs and 0.99 blocks while hitting .259.

ABOUT TENNESSEE: After racing out to a 15-3 record, the Lady Volunteers have struggled down the stretch with a 2-6 mark in their last eight contests. Tennessee suffered a pair of setbacks in Knoxville, Tenn., last weekend to Kentucky and Alabama. Like Kentucky, the Lady Vols have a talented middle blocker in Sarah Blum, who averages 3.20 kills and 1.77 blocks while hitting .337. Her blocks per game average leads the SEC and ranks fourth in the country.

THE KENTUCKY SERIES: Kentucky leads the all-time series with South Carolina 18-16 and enters Friday’s match having won five in a row. Carolina last defeated UK in 2003 and is 10-5 at home versus the Wildcats.

THE TENNESSEE SERIES: Sunday marks the 48th meeting between South Carolina and Tennessee in a series that dates back to 1974. The Lady Vols currently have the edge by a 25-22 margin and have won seven straight against the Gamecocks.

2006 SENIOR DAY

South Carolina will honor five members of its team on Sunday as part of Senior Day. The Gamecocks’ senior class consists of Iris Santos, Lynae Vanden Hull, Shonda Cole, Alexcis Thomson and Crystal Johnson, who is forgoing her final year of eligibility to enter medical school.

Shonda Cole

  • Second in school history for kills (1,651), first in attacks (3,882) and kills per game average (4.16)
  • Second-team All-SEC in 2004 and 2005
  • Honorable Mention All-Region in 2005
  • Only Gamecock in school history to train with USA Volleyball
  • School-record 579 kills in 2006 and 5.68 kills per game average
  • Currently fourth nationally in kills per game
  • Owns six of the seven 30-kill matches in school history and all six have come this year
  • South Carolina’s first AVCA National Player of the Week winner
  • Only Gamecock in school history to average 4.00 kills per game or more for three seasons
  • Just the second Gamecocks to post back-to-back 400-kill seasons
  • Reached double figures in kills 87 times in 111 career matches played
  • Her 1,242 attacks this season is fourth all time
  • Her six 30-kill matches this year is tops in the country
  • Two-time SEC Offensive Player of the Week in 2006

Crystal Johnson

  • Set personal bests this season for kills (50) and blocks (57)
  • Her 13 blocks against St. John’s this season was a school record for a five-game match
  • Played in 55 matches during her career and started 15 matches this year
  • Third on the team in blocks per game (0.83) this year
  • Made over 100 kills and 100 blocks during her career

Iris Santos

  • Played almost every position during her four years at South Carolina
  • Just the second player in school history to record over 500 kills and 2,000 assists during her career
  • Named to a pair of all-tournament teams this season
  • Leads the team in double-doubles this season with nine
  • Recorded two triple-doubles last year within a week of each other
  • Made 60-plus assists in four matches in 2006
  • Currently ranked seventh in the SEC in assists per game (11.37)
  • Eighth in career assists (2,040) and ninth in assists per game (5.51)
  • Averaged 1.36 kills per game, 5.51 assists per game and 2.19 digs per game over the course of her career

Alexcis Thomson

  • Has been a defensive specialist and setter for the Gamecocks during her four years
  • Set a personal best this season with 346 digs and a 3.36 digs per game average
  • Has over 600 digs in her career, one of 29 Gamecocks to do so
  • Ranks 11th in Carolina history for assists (352)
  • Is the only player to appear in all 103 games this year
  • SEC Academic Honor Roll member in 2004 and 2005

Lynae Vanden Hull

  • Named 2003 SEC Freshman of the Year
  • SEC Academic Honor Roll selection in 2003, 2004 and 2005
  • One of 20 Gamecocks to hit over 700 kills in her career
  • One of 17 Gamecocks to take over 2,000 attacks
  • Tallied 27 kills in a match against Kentucky her freshman year
  • Reached double figures in kills in 32 of her 90 career matches played

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