South Carolina Volleyball Earns First National Ranking Since 2002
The Gamecocks check in at No. 15 in the latest national coaches poll from the AVCA
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Ahead of its final road series of the fall, South Carolina volleyball earned the No. 15 ranking in the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) weekly coaches poll, announced Wednesday afternoon. It is the program’s first appearance in the rankings since 2002.
The Gamecocks are 3-1, preparing to travel to Knoxville for matches against Tennessee on Friday and Saturday. The program last came in ranked on Dec. 2, 2002, earning the No. 24 spot in a season where it finished with a 23-7 record and made the second round of the NCAA tournament. The current coaches poll ranks only the top 15 teams in the country, based on the current conferences competing – ACC, Big 12, SEC, and Sun Belt.
Currently in season three under head coach Tom Mendoza, the Gamecocks have already achieved milestones not previously seen in their 48-season history. South Carolina enjoyed back-to-back seasons with at least 20 wins and a postseason victory in 2018 and 2019 and despite graduating four starters from last year’s squad, the Gamecocks are pushing again for the postseason this coming spring after splitting the season’s opening series at Georgia and recently sweeping two matches from Auburn at home.
Friday’s opener at Tennessee will be at 8 p.m. and airs on the SEC Network. Saturday’s rematch will be at 5 p.m. and airs on the SEC Network+ online stream. Follow @GamecockVolley on social media for more updates on the team.
