Oct. 8, 2002
LEXINGTON, Ky. –
South Carolina/Tennessee Notes
The University of Kentucky volleyball team will return home on Wednesday, Oct. 9, for a rematch with the Gamecocks at 7 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum.
The Wildcats (7-7, 1-3 SEC) are coming off a disappointing loss last weekend to Arkansas in Fayetteville. UK played well, but came up short in the 3-1 loss to fall to 1-3 in Southeastern Conference play. The loss also places added importance on this week’s schedule, as Kentucky needs to add league wins to qualify for the SEC Tournament, Nov. 22-24, in Fayetteville. Only eight teams qualify for the single-elimination tourney, making each conference win an important one.
After USC (12-3, 5-0 SEC) won the first meeting of the season, 3-0, in Columbia last month, the series record is tied at 13. Kentucky dominated the series from its origination in 1979 until 1994, winning nine straight matches. However, the Gamecocks have taken the last five meetings, leaving UK without a series victory since 1999.
South Carolina enters the match with a perfect 5-0 conference record after beating LSU and Arkansas on the road last weekend. The Gamecocks are 12-3 overall and haven’t lost a match since Sept. 14, a 3-1 loss to Long Beach State in Long Beach, Calif.
Niece Curry leads South Carolina this season, averaging 3.46 kills per game, while hitting an astounding .412 on the year. She leads the league with that percentage. Berna Dwyer is close behind with 3.43 kpg and a .367 hitting percentage, which ranks fourth in the conference. Setter Megan Hosp averages 12.15 assists per game for the Gamecocks.
Coach Kim Christopher is in her 10th season at South Carolina, holding a 192-96 record in Columbia. She’s 362-140 in her 16th season as a head coach, including four seasons at West Texas State and two at Northern Arizona. Her 1990 WTSU team claimed the NCAA Division II title.
