Sept. 25, 2008

South Carolina vs. Ole Miss | Friday, 5 p.m. CT

Live Stats

South Carolina vs. Arkansas | Sunday, 1:30 p.m. CT

Live Stats

General Information

Game Notes | Ben Somera

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Gamecocks hit the road for the first time in Southeastern Conference play this year, as they face Mississippi and Arkansas in matches this weekend. Friday’s contest against the Rebels is slated for an early 5 p.m. CDT start at the Gillom Sports Complex due to the the presidential debate scheduled for later that evening on the University of Mississippi campus, while Sunday’s tilt against the Razorbacks is slated for a 1:30 p.m. CDT first serve at Barnhill Arena.

Both teams enter the weekend with 1-0 SEC records after beating Auburn. The Rebels were one of five SEC teams to make the NCAA tourney last season and hold a 5-5 overall record. The Razorbacks stand at 4-7, winning four of its last six contests while losing those two matches in that stretch in five sets.

Record-Type Performances

The middle blockers for South Carolina have turned in some stellar performances over the past two seasons, with redshirt senior Belita Salters writing her name in the single-match record books twice already in 2008. She hit a career-best .543 (21-2-35) in the five-set victory over UNLV, the third-highest average for a Gamecock in a five-set match. She followed that with a .536 (17-2-28) mark in the victory at Rhode Island in the Art Carmichael Classic, which stands fourth on the five-set match charts.

After watching Salters put her name in the record book twice, sophomore middle blocker Megan Laughlin decided to get in on the action. Her .652 (15-0-23) against the College of Charleston ranks as the fifth-best output in a three-set match in history, replacing Lori Rowe’s .636 versus Southern Miss on Oct. 15, 1983.

Winning Streak on the Line
The Gamecocks have put together just the sixth winning streak of 10 or more matches in history. The current skein of 10 matches equals the longest streaks in 1978 and 2000. Next on the list is an 11-game run in 2002, which is the last year the Gamecocks made the NCAA Tournament. The two longest winning streaks in history both came in 1983. That squad had a 12-match string to start the season and a 14-match streak near the end of the year. That final skein was snapped by Florida State in the Metro Conference Tournament Championship, keeping the Gamecocks out of the field of 28 for that year’s NCAA Tournament.

Strong Schedule Brings Gamecocks Unique Recognition
After one weekend of the SEC schedule, the Carolina Gamecocks have put themselves in impressive company. The squad has defeated five teams that played in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and only one other team has matched that. Texas A&M has also defeated five teams, and the comparison to determine whose wins are better is close. The Gamecocks defeated three teams that won in the first round, (Dayton, Clemson and LSU), while the Aggies have victories over BYU, a 2007 regional finalist, and Oklahoma, who won its first-round contest but fell to Florida in the second. The rest of South Carolina’s wins (UNLV and College of Charleston) could be seen as stronger than Texas A&M’s (American, Siena and Texas State).

Among the Elite Early in 2008
South Carolina’s early-season record stands among the very best in the country. Entering the week, there were just six undefeated teams among the 315 full-fledged Division I teams in the country. The Gamecocks are just a rung down, part of the 11 teams that just have one loss on the year. The only other SEC school in that top five percent is Florida.

A Pair of Streaks End, One Survives
Two Gamecocks saw their consecutive sets-played streak come to an end last weekend. Middle blockers Belita Salters and Megan Laughlin both missed the match against LSU due to different ailments. That ended streaks of 141 and 140 straight sets played, respectively, for the pair. The longest current streak is held by Ivana Kujundzic, who has played in 134 straight sets, dating back to the match against Boston College in 2007.

Digs and Serve Reception Key to Gamecocks’ Start
When South Carolina’s season ended last November, the coaching staff immediately made a goal to improve the team’s defense, particularly digs and serve receptions. It seems that hard work has paid off. The Gamecocks currently lead the SEC and stand 33rd nationally with 15.88 digs per set. That’s just 1.4 digs off the squad’s pace from last season when each set contained five more points.

Something that might be missed, however, is the fact the team’s serve reception has also improved. Last year, South Carolina made 1.3 errors per set and successfully received a serve 94.5 percent of the time. The percentage is just slightly off from last season (94.3), but the squad now gives up 0.9 aces per set. In fact, the squad’s opponents have just 35 aces on the season while making 70 service errors in the process. The Gamecocks’ serving game has cut down on the errors, making just eight more errors than their 44 aces this season.

Blocking Is a Team Effort
With a lot of experience back, it makes working together easier. That has really come into play with the Gamecocks’ blocking efforts in 2008. The team still is led by Belita Salters and Megan Laughlin in the middle, but they have gotten a lot of help up front. Six players all average around a block per match (0.3 blocks per set) in 2008, with one checking in at 0.28 blocks per set, just below that threshold. Last season, only five Gamecocks ended the year above that 0.3 mark.

Maybe Not a Team Effort, but Avoiding Blocks Are Good, Too
So far the Gamecocks have been adept at avoiding the opposition’s blocking schemes. South Carolina has been blocked an average of 1.33 times per set this season, which leads the SEC. Kentucky’s opponents have also maintained a 1.33 blocks-per-set average this season.

Leader May Be Near Constant, but Secondary Help Coming from Everywhere
As shown below, Ivana Kujundzic has led the Gamecocks eight of the 11 matches this season in kills. What that chart doesn’t show you is how different people have all contributed to the cause in big ways during different matches. Five others have stepped up behind Kujundzic’s lead on most nights, while, when others have taken over the top attacker spot, Kujundzic has been right behind them. Megan Laughlin has ranked second in kills on five times, just one more than her middle blocking teammate Belita Salters. In different matches, Meredith Moorhead and Annie Thomas have also played strong in the sidekick role, each ranking second in kills once. And freshman Teresa Stenlund did her best Laughlin or Salters impression during her one start, providing a great second option on offense.

Kujundzic Takes Home Weekly Awards
Junior outside hitter Ivana Kujundzic picked up the Gamecocks’ first SEC award of the season, claiming the Offensive Player of the Week certificate on Monday, Sept. 15. Kujundzic also earned the CVU.com National Player of the Week award, the first national award for a Gamecock volleyball player since Sept. 16, 2006. The Subotica, Serbia, native averaged 4.36 kills and 3.09 digs per set with a .355 hitting percentage during the Carolina Challenge. She nearly single-handedly won the fifth set against archrival Clemson, recording six kills, including four that staved off match point or set up Carolina for the win.

Gamecocks Show Skills in Non-Conference
Comparing the stats from each weekend is one bit of evidence about how much hard work during practice pays off for a team. The Gamecocks increased their offense in each weekend tournament, starting at 12.4 kills and 11.1 assists per set at Arizona State, moving to 13.5 kills and 11.4 assists in the Art Carmichael Classic before breaking out for 15.8 kills and 14.8 assists in the Carolina Challenge. The Garnet and Black’s hitting percentage has also climbed each week, starting at .197 before shooting to .308 and .324. The defense has been steady, never dropping below 15.7 digs per frame.

Garnet Bring Back Majority of Production
South Carolina should be able to pick up where they left off in 2007. In most major statistical categories, the squad returns 85 percent of the production from last season. The highest percentage back comes in assists and digs, as 94 percent of last year’s totals are back. The squad also has 85 percent of its aces back, including nine of the 10 players that registered at least one. Eighty-six percent of the kills return, including the top four in kills last season. The only category that “suffered” a loss is blocks, as a mere 74 percent (and the squad’s top two blockers) are back for 2008.

Series History Against Mississippi
The Carolina Gamecocks have met 29 times in history, with South Carolina holding a 20-9 mark in the series. The Rebels, however, have taken the last three meetings, including both matches in 2007. On the University of Mississippi campus, the Gamecocks are 7-4.

Scouting the Rebels
Mississippi is an even 5-5 on the season and 1-0 on SEC play after sweeping Auburn last Sunday on the plains. Aces are the only category that the Rebels hold an advantage over their opponents, getting 1.2 per set while giving up less than one (0.9) a frame. The team ranks third in digs per set, but their opponents have out-dug them (14.9-15.6). The Red and Blue have not gotten their block together enough, ranking 10th in the league with a 1.72 average per set. Individually, Katie Norris leads the squad with 2.97 kills per set, while Regina Thomas stands second with a 2.63 average. Thomas tops the team with a .357 hitting percentage and a 1.04 blocks-per-set average, while Norris is third in hitting percentage (.232). Setter Rachel Kieckhaefer is second on the team in hitting percentage (.274) and fourth in digs (2.22) while leading the way with a 9.14 assist-per-set average. She ranks fifth on the squad with a 1.58 kills-per-set mark. Allison Weber is the Rebels’ top defender, making 3.56 digs per frame.

Series History Against Arkansas
For South Carolina, the least-played conference opponent is Arkansas, for a good reason, too. The Razorbacks have taken 14 of the 21 matches all-time, including a sweep last year in Barnhill Arena. All-time in Fayetteville, the Gamecocks are 3-7, last winning there in 2002.

Scouting the Razorbacks
Arkansas enters the weekend with a 4-7 record overall and a 1-0 league mark after taking a five-set contest from the Auburn Tigers. Arkansas lost its first five matches, including two against ranked teams, before turning things around and taking four of the last six. Its last two losses both came in five sets at home. The Razorbacks have only bested their opponents in blocks, and that by just 0.1 per set. The squad ranks 10th in hitting percentage (.174), while they give up the highest mark to their opponents compared to other SEC schools (.228). Blocks is the only category that the Hogs are not in the bottom three across the league. Individually, Kelli Stipanovich leads the team with a 3.05 kills-per-set average, while she ranks fourth in digs per set (2.10). Yun Tang is not a great attacker (1.41 kills per set, .167 hitting percentage), but she the league’s top blocker at 1.41 blocks per frame. Christina Lawrence stands second on the team in kills per set (2.52) and hitting percentage (.245), while she’s third in digs (1.90).