March 11, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. – After spending last week on the road, the South Carolina beach volleyball team is set to host the Gamecock Challenge this weekend at Wheeler Beach.

The Gamecocks welcome four teams to Columbia, as Mercer, No. 16 Tulane, UAB and Coastal Carolina will take part in the event. Carolina is slated to face Mercer (11 a.m.) and Tulane (5 p.m.) on Saturday, and UAB (11a.m.) and Coastal Carolina (5 p.m.) on Sunday.

“I thought last weekend was a good start to the season,” said head coach Moritz Moritz. “It was a solid measure of where we were at the beginning of the season. Now with what we’re starting to learn and develop, we’re excited to see that growth continue. There is strong competition from top to bottom in beach volleyball. We’re ready to continue to test ourselves against different opponents and just excited to get out and play.”

“This past weekend in Arizona I think we learned a lot about ourselves as a team,” said senior Sarah Blomgren. “It was awesome to have the first tournament and see other competition. I think it was a good look at what we can do and what we can improve on. We took Arizona as a learning experience, and we’re using it for our first home tournament. We are so excited about being back on our court and have our fan base come out and support us. There is nothing better than playing at home.”

Admission is free to all of South Carolina’s beach volleyball events. The complex is located in the Athletics Village directly behind the right-field wall of Carolina Softball Stadium. Fans and media can park for free in the Athletics Village garage.

GAMECOCK CHALLENGE INFORMATION

FRIDAY:
UAB vs. Coastal Carolina, 9 a.m.
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. MERCER, 11 a.m.
Coastal Carolina vs. Tulane, 1 p.m.
UAB vs. Mercer, 3 p.m.
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. TULANE, 5 p.m.

SATURDAY:
Tulane vs. Mercer, 9 a.m.
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. UAB, 11 a.m.
Mercer vs. Coastal Carolina, 1 p.m.
Tulane vs. UAB, 3 p.m.
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. COASTAL CAROLINA, 5 p.m.

South Carolina at a Glance
– The Gamecocks are in their third season under the direction of head coach Moritz Moritz after going 14-7 in the program’s second season in 2015.
– 11 players from last year’s roster are back.
– Carolina currently has a roster size of 20 players.
– Four of the players on this year’s roster – Sarah Blomgren, Darian Dozier, Aubrey Ezell, Emma Lock – are crossover players from the Carolina indoor program.
– South Carolina boasts a diverse roster as it has players from 11 different states, including Texas, Virginia, California, Florida, South Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, New Jersey and Missouri.

A Look Back at Arizona
– Carolina went 2-3 to open the 2016 season.
– The Gamecocks recorded the program’s first sweep of the season as they defeated Colorado Mesa 5-0 on Friday in their first dual of the Sun Devil Challenge. Carolina won all five matches in two sets.
– South Carolina went 2-2 in the Sun Devil Challenge in Tempe, Ariz., defeating Colorado Mesa 5-0 and New Mexico 3-2 but falling to No. 6 Florida State 5-0 and Arizona State 4-1. The Gamecocks also dropped a 4-1 decision to No. 15 Grand Canyon on Sunday in Phoenix.
– The six pairs that opened season play each had one player that made their collegiate beach volleyball debut-Shannon Williams, Aubrey Ezell, Katie Reilly, Katie McCormick, Darian Dozier and Delaney Wood.
– Carolina’s No. 2 pair of Sarah Blomgren and Aubrey Ezell and No. 3 pair of Macie Tendrich and Katie Reilly each went 3-2 on the weekend.

Carolina in Home Duals
– The Gamecocks are 9-5 all-time at Wheeler Beach, including 3-2 in 2014 and 6-3 in 2015.
– In the first dual in Wheeler Beach history, the Gamecocks defeated Oregon 4-1 in front of 1,102 fans on March 21, 2014.

Scouting Mercer
– The Bears enter their fifth season and are under the direction of former Carolina assistant volleyball coach Damian Elder (2006-10).
– Mercer enters the Gamecock Challenge at 2-0 on the season. The Bears went 10-10 in 2015.
– Juniors Tori Penrod and Emma Peel return to lead the Bears. Penrod was named Atlantic Sun Preseason Player of the Year and pairs with Emily Krogman at No. 2.
– Peel holds down the No. 1 spot with younger sister Sophie Peel.
– Both Penrod and Peel are undefeated on the season.

Series History vs. Mercer
– The Gamecocks and Bears have split the first two meetings in the series.
– Mercer won 3-2 on March 11, 2014 at the Georgia State Diggin’ Duals.
– Carolina evened the series with a 4-1 win at the Carolina Classic to open the 2015 season.

Scouting No. 18 Tulane
– Tulane is in its fifth season of beach volleyball.
– The Green Waves enters the Gamecock Challenge with a 4-1 record, including a three-dual winning streak.
– Tulane claimed two 5-0 victories in it’s opening weekend with wins over College of Charleston and UNC-Wilmington.
– Green Wave pair of juniors Sarah Strasner and Miah Diirell is undefeated on the season.
– Senior Jackie Wegner and junior Tea Juric were named to the CCSA All-Conference Team, while sophomore Madeline Mertz earned a spot on the Preseason CCSA Watch List.

Series History vs. Tulane
– South Carolina leads the all-time series with Tulane 2-0.
– The Gamecocks defeated the Green Wave with a pair of 3-2 wins last season. Carolina first faced Tulane at the Gamecock Invitational on March 21, 2015, then later at the Battle on the Bayou on April 19, 2015.

Scouting UAB
– UAB enters the weekend with a 1-2 record, having played all three matches on the road.
– The Blazers went 7-8 last season.
– Graduate student Sara Rishell was selected to the Preseason CCSA Watch List.
– UAB returns only four members from last year’s roster.

Series History vs. UAB
– South Carolina leads the all-time series with UAB 3-0.
– Carolina defeated UAB twice last season with a pair of 4-1 victories. The Blazers hosted the Gamecocks in a dual match on March 10, 2015, and the two teams later faced off again at the Gamecock Invitational March 22, 2015.
– The Gamecocks’ victory at UAB on March 10, 2015 was the program’s first true road win.

Scouting Coastal Carolina
– The Chanticleers are entering their inaugural season, becoming the school’s 19th intercollegiate athletic program.
– Coastal Carolina is led by Jozsef Forman, who is in his fourth season as the head coach of the indoor volleyball program.
– The Chanticleers have 13 players on the roster, including one senior, two juniors, four sophomores and six freshmen.