March 13, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina sand volleyball team returns to action this weekend at the UNF Sand Invitational at the St. Augustine Beach Pier in St. Augustine Beach, Fla.

The Gamecocks will take on host North Florida (1:30 p.m.) and College of Charleston (3:30 p.m.) on Saturday and Florida Atlantic (1:30 p.m.) and Jacksonville (3:30 p.m.) on Sunday.

UNF SAND INVITATIONAL INFORMATION
Schedule: Tournament Central
Saturday: vs. North Florida, 1:30 p.m. | vs. College of Charleston, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday: vs. Florida Atlantic, 1:30 p.m. | vs. Jacksonville, 3:30 p.m.
On Twitter: @GamecockSandVB
Notes

South Carolina at a Glance
• The Gamecocks are in their second season under the direction of head coach Moritz Moritz after going 5-12 in the program’s inaugural season in 2014.
• All 18 players from last year’s roster are back.
• Carolina currently has a roster size of 25 players. Four players – Paige Wheeler, Litsa Darby, Megan Kent and Maddie Frome – played indoor volleyball for the Gamecocks in 2012 before making the transition to sand only players.
• Five of the players on this year’s roster – Sarah Blomgren, Jordan Wilson-Talmadge, KoKo Atoa-Williams, Allie Monserez and Abby Feruck – are crossover players from the Carolina indoor program.
• South Carolina boasts a diverse roster as it has players from 12 different states, including Virginia, Iowa, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, Nevada and Missouri.

A Look Back at the UAB Dual, Georgia State Diggin’ Duals
• The Gamecocks went 2-1 in a two-day road swing down Interstate 20.
• Carolina won 4-1 at UAB on Tuesday, the program’s first true road win.
• The Gamecocks recorded the program’s first sweep as they defeated New Orleans 5-0 on Wednesday in their first dual at the Georgia State Diggin’ Duals. Carolina won all five matches in two sets and claimed all but one set by 10 or more points.
• In its final dual of the trip, Carolina dropped a 5-0 decision to Georgia State, snapping a five-dual winning streak dating back to last year. Four of the five matches went to three sets.
• Carolina’s top four pairs all went 2-1 during the road trip.

Projecting the Lineup
• No. 1: Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto – 4-3 overall, including a 3-2 record in dual play…Went 2-1 in road trip to UAB and the Georgia State Diggin’ Duals.
• No. 2: Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent – Team best 7-2 overall record, including a 4-1 record in dual play…Went 2-1 in trip to UAB and the Georgia State Diggin’ Duals.
• No. 3: Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt – Enter the weekend with a 4-2 overall record and a 4-1 mark in dual play…Went 2-1 in road swing to UAB and the Georgia State Diggin’ Duals.
• No. 4: Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich – 5-3 overall and 3-2 in dual play…Posted a 2-1 record in road trip to UAB and the Georgia State Diggin’ Duals.
• No. 5: KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez – 3-4 overall record, including a 2-3 mark in dual play…Went 1-2 in road trip to UAB and the Georgia State Diggin’ Duals.
• No. 6: Erin Neuenfeldt/Litsa Darby – Won all four exhibition matches this season.

Carolina in Road Matches
• The Gamecocks are 1-5 in true road matches all-time, including a 1-1 mark this season.
• Carolina won the program’s first road match with a 4-1 victory at UAB on Tuesday.
• The Gamecock pairs have combined to go 4-6 on the road this season.

Taking the Lead
• Carolina’s senior tandem of Paige Wheeler and Megan Kent has posted the team’s best record with a 7-2 overall mark this season while playing at No. 2, including a 4-1 record in dual play.
• Wheeler and Kent have lost just six of 22 sets this season in nine matches.
• In dual play, the duo has lost three sets by a combined 14 points.
• Wheeler and Kent finished runner-up in the Gold bracket of the Carolina Classic pairs tournament, finishing the weekend with a 3-1 record.

Breaking into the Rankings
• The Gamecocks earned the program’s first ranking by breaking into the first DiG Magazine Collegiate Sand Poll of the season at No. 20.
• Carolina will face six teams ranked in the latest poll this season, including No. 2 Pepperdine, No. 4 Florida State, No. 6 Florida International, No. 10 Georgia State, No. 16 North Florida and No. 17 Tulane.

Scouting North Florida
• The Ospreys open their fourth season this weekend. North Florida went 18-6 last season.
• North Florida has won three-straight Atlantic Sun Conference titles.
• The Ospreys lost their No. 1 pair of Dagnija Medina and Kim Hildreth, who went 27-11 overall last season.
• Senior Cari Whitmire is the top returner after playing last season on the No. 2 and posting a 24-7 overall record.
• Tanner Garbutt and Cameron McGuire, who played at No. 3 and No. 4 last season, are also back after going 19-11.

Series History vs. North Florida
• The Gamecocks lost their only meeting with North Florida on March 8, 2014, dropping a 4-1 decision last year at the UNF Sand Invitational.
• Carolina’s No. 2 pair of Sarah Blomgren and Mikaela Christiaansen was the only pair to win their match, defeating Anna Budinska and Cari Whitmire 21-19 and 21-18.

Scouting College of Charleston
• The Cougars open their fourth season this weekend. College of Charleston went 6-5 in 2014.
• College of Charleston lost its top pair of Darcy Dorton and Emily Neideffer to graduation. The duo went 2-14 last season.
• Andi Zbojniewicz and Sloane White, who had a team-best 13-5 record, are also gone.
• Junior Melissa Morello returns after playing on the No. 2 pair last season and going 6-12 overall.

Series History vs. College of Charleston
• The series between the Gamecocks and Cougars is tied at 1-1.
• Carolina fell at College of Charleston 3-2 on April 5, 2014. Three of the five matches went to three sets. The Gamecocks’ No. 2 pair of Mikaela Christiaansen and Sarah Blomgren and No. 5 pair of KoKo Atoa-Williams and Erin Neuenfeldt won the two points for Carolina.
• The Gamecocks closed out their inaugural season with a 3-2 win over the Cougars on April 22, 2014. Four of the five matches went to three sets, with Carolina claiming points at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5.

Scouting Florida Atlantic
• The Owls are in their fourth season of sand volleyball and enter the weekend with a 1-2 record. Florida Atlantic went 3-12 a year ago.
• Florida Atlantic has lost to Stetson and Florida International and defeated Eckerd College.
• Mandy McIntosh and Chelsey Tekavec have played at No. 1 in all three duals this season and are 1-2 on the year.
• Senior Natalie Fraley, who played most of last season at No. 1 with Darija Sataric, returns for the Owls as well as Sophomore Beth Shoaff, who played mostly at No. 2 last year.

Series History vs. Florida Atlantic
• The Gamecocks won the only meeting between the two schools, defeating the Owls 4-1 on March 9, 2014.
• Carolina won the top four pairs matches against the Owls.

Scouting Jacksonville
• Jacksonville enters the weekend with an 0-2 record. The Dolphins went 8-15 last season.
• Mayara Prestes and Kelly Koop have played at No. 1 in both duals for the Dolphins this season and are 0-2.
• Sammie Strausbaugh, who went 17-6 on the Dolphins No. 1 pair a year ago, has been playing at No. 2 with Emily Laskelle, who had a 3-20 record last season, playing No. 2, 3, 4 and 5. The duo is 1-1 this season in dual play.

Series History vs. Jacksonville
• The series between the Gamecocks and Dolphins is tied at 1-1.
• Carolina defeated Jacksonville 3-2 for the program’s first win on March 8, 2014. The Gamecocks won points at No. 2, 3 and 5.
• Jacksonville evened the series with a 4-1 win at Florida State on March 29, 2014. Jordan Loney and Jade Vitt won the Gamecocks’ only point at No. 3.