Oct. 15, 2012

Tues., Oct. 16 at Coastal Carolina | 6 p.m. EDT | | @GamecockVolley | 2012 SC VB Notes (10/11) | 2012 SC VB Stats (as of 10/12)

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Stepping out of Southeastern Conference action for the final time in 2012, South Carolina travels to Conway to face Coastal Carolina in a 6 p.m. match at the HTC Center.

The Gamecocks, 13-7 on the year and 2-7 in SEC play, look to regain momentum before embarking on the second half of the league slate on Friday. Juliette Thévenin leads South Carolina’s offense, posting 4.18 kills a set. Sophomores Cara Howley and Bethanie Thomas both average over 2.3 kills a frame, while senior setter Taylor Bruns dishes 9.12 assists per stanza.

Coastal Carolina enters the Tuesday contest with a 7-10 overall record and a 5-2 mark in the Big South Conference, tied for the best mark in the league. The Chanticleers’ top attacker is Gabriella Horvath, who averages 2.77 kills a set while also contributing 1.88 digs and 0.45 blocks a set. Meghan Laffin helps with 2.12 kills a frame. Kindra Bailey leads the CCU block with a 1.11 blocks average. Lauren Alejo makes 7.86 assists a set, while Jamie DiMaggio leads the passing group with 2.78 digs a set.

Tuesday’s match ranks as the first in history between the two teams in Conway and just the 11th in the 40 years of South Carolina volleyball history. The Gamecocks have taken every previous meeting, including a sweep in 2009 at the Volleyball Competition Facility.

Gametracker live stats will be provided at GamecocksOnline.com, and updates can also be found on the team’s Twitter page, @GamecockVolley. Live video will also be available on BigSouthSports.com for a fee.