April 10, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina sand volleyball team will take a break from dual play to compete at the Fiesta on Siesta Key pairs tournament this weekend in Siesta Key, Fla.

A total of 10 Gamecock pairs will take part in the event, with play beginning both Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 a.m.

Saturday: 8:30 a.m. | Siesta Key Public Beach
Sunday: 8:30 a.m. | Siesta Key Public Beach
Website: Fiesta on Siesta Key
On Twitter: @GamecockSandVB
Fiesta on Siesta Key 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 Palmetto Invitational
• The Gamecocks went 0-2 in their final home event of the season to finish the year with a 6-3 record at the Carolina Sand Volleyball Complex.
• Carolina dropped a 5-0 decision to No. 3 Pepperdine to open the weekend.
• The Gamecocks fell to No. 6 FIU, 3-2, to close out the event.
• Seniors Paige Wheeler and Megan Kent gave the Gamecocks a point against FIU with a win at No. 2, while Jade Vitt and Sarah Blomgren won their match at No. 3.
• Following the Pepperdine dual, the Gamecocks honored their first senior class during a Senior Day ceremony. Wheeler, Kent, Haley Guyton, Colleen Nosovitch and Jade Hays were recognized during the ceremony.

About the Fiesta on Siesta Key
• For the second-straight year, Carolina will head to Siesta Key, Fla., for the Fiesta on Siesta Key Pairs Tournament.
• The tournament is the largest collegiate sand volleyball event in the country, with 170 pairs from 27 schools set to compete this weekend.
• Play begins Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with the Fiesta on Siesta Key Pairs Competition. Twelve pools of four teams (pairs 1-3 from 16 schools) will play full matches. All teams will advance into four single elimination brackets with seeding determined by pool finish and original seeding. Pairs Competition play will wrap up on Sunday.
• Fiesta Team Cup Competition pool play will begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. A total of 18 pools of four teams will play one set to 25. At 2 p.m., all teams will advance to single elimination brackets, with seeding determined by pool play results. The Fiesta on Siesta Team Cup will be awarded based on finish points for the top three teams from each school.

A Look at the Pairs
• No. 1: Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent – Will face pairs from Jacksonville, Stetson and College of Charleston in the Pairs Competition.
• No. 2: Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto – Will face pairs from Jacksonville, Stetson and College of Charleston in the Pairs Competition.
• No. 3: Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt – Will face pairs from Jacksonville, Stetson and College of Charleston in the Pairs Competition.
• No. 4: Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich – Will face pairs from Florida Gulf Coast, ULM and Florida International in the Team Cup Competition.
• No. 5: KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez – Will face pairs from Florida Gulf Coast, Florida State and Jacksonville in the Team Cup Competition.
• No. 6: Erin Neuenfeldt/Litsa Darby – Will face pairs from ULM, Tulane and St. Catharine in the Team Cup Competition.
• No. 7: Katie McCormick/Helen Recaborde – Will face pairs from Eckerd, Stetson and FIU in the Team Cup Competition.
• No. 8: Haley Guyton/Jordan Wilson-Talmadge – Will face pairs from Florida Atlantic, North Florida and UAB in the Team Cup Competition.
• No. 9: Colleen Nosovitch/Shiloh Burgreen – Will face pairs from Webber International, Florida State and St. Catharine in the Team Cup Competition.
• No. 10: Abby Feruck/Zuzanna Reszka – Will face pairs from St. Catharine, Principia and Florida International in the Team Cup Competition.

Doubling Up
• With five duals remaining on the schedule, the Gamecocks have more than doubled their win total from last year with 11. Carolina won five duals in its inaugural season in 2014.
• The Gamecocks have also doubled the number of home wins with six after winning three a year ago.

Setting the Standard
• Carolina’s senior tandem of Paige Wheeler and Megan Kent are leaving their mark on the Gamecock sand volleyball program.
• The duo has a team-best 15-6 overall record, including a 12-4 mark in dual play.
• The 15 overall wins and 12 wins in dual play are both the most in a single season in school history.
• Wheeler and Kent are one win away from tying Mikaela Christiaansen (16 – 2014) for the most individual wins in a single season.
• Wheeler and Kent have recorded wins over the No. 2 pair from fourth-ranked Florida State and sixth-ranked FIU.

Staying at No. 17
• After earning the program’s first national ranking of No. 20 in the DiG Magazine Collegiate Sand Poll on March 9, the Gamecocks moved up three spots to No. 17 in the second release of the DiG Magazine Poll on March 23 and remained at No. 17 in the latest release of the poll.
• The Gamecocks have one dual left on the schedule against a team ranked in the top 20 as they will face No. 20 Tulane on April 19 in Baton Rouge, La.