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Ranked 16th Tenn By Bertram M. Rantin Staff Writer After missing the 1979 and 1980 NCAA national tournaments, the USC men's tennis team would like nr?tKir*rt iwniiig ucuci man iu I f lUl ll to the event for the second time in four years. For this year's squad, the 1981 tournament is a very real possibility. The team is currently ranked 16th nationally following a very successful fall season. With only one loss in the fall, the USC squad is currently 5-0 at the start of the spring. a innirv vYt aic utiuuici^ U top 16 team," Coach Ron Smarr said. "If we play well, we could end up even better." IN THEIR first five matches, USC has over v .** 4M Grade Barrie smashes a s team. Barrie is the numbe Gamecocks this season. Softball By Liz Chandler Stuff Wfitet Ranked 11th in the nation, Gamecock Softball team looking to improve their tv ; total of (>G wins and 22 losst open the 1981 season Thursd; 5 against Ithica College. After being eliminated ! 1980 national championshi ! second and sixth teams in tl Carolina is aiming for a top ! this season. "There's a good charu finishing within the top ten, ! we start winning in the toil we'll be put against the tougl first," Head Coach Judy Mai | KXPK(TIN(? TIIK tea i stronger both offensivi defensively Martino feels could be hampered by having pitchers. "We couldn't schedule gai to back every night like w< ; year because it would be I strain on our pitchers. So v Duiid our defense up," Martii The Gamecocks lost one graduation, one to injury j i because of personal reasons. Martino feels the team these five players, but said nationally is team powered all their opponents and takes a 41-4 individual match record into Ohio this weekend where they will faff* Ohin ? V/??V UVUVVf lVULIIlgCllI and Notre Dame. "We'll play three good teams so we're looking forward to that," Smarr said. USC's most recent victory was Tuesday over Presbyterian College. Carolina won the match 8-1. Smarr said the road trip would be good for his team as they begin to face tougher competition than in earlier matches. "Our schedule is gradually building so that we play tougher teams," Smarr said. rrrsmnai] xTsnvm nuuciu said he is looking forward to stronger competiton and feels the players' concentration might suffer if erve for the USC tennis r four seed for the Lady team aii plenty of depth at e "We got two goo the Lady Orlando Rebels U will be Amateur Softball vo-season which will give ?s as they outfielders with go iy, March said from the VOLLEY BALL p by the Anderson will pla he nation, intercollegiate so ten finish pec ted to help Martino. :e of us DpIV k ivh M/ill ?-> but until help as she gains e irnament, said. ler teams Returning pitche 'tinosaid Cindy Wallace "stronger" by Ma ii to be pects strong hitt [jly and baseman Amy L; the team Shirley Ashburn. \ only two added to the team recruits Lindi J; tnes back Smith. j did last The Lady (iamec 1(H) much 20 ballcames in 1 vc had to travel to Texas ai 10said. take on the Rebels player to away Regional a ind three nament play is schi A special sottball will miss has been built and j I there is the Lady (iamecoel unbeat< , 4 they consistently played teams they felt they should beat. "I don't thing we would be able to get up for all the matches. We might get too loose and lose a few matches we shouldn't," he said. THE LINEUP for the team is not definite, Smarr said. "We've got several people who are very even," ? Carolina hopes to By Bertram f\ Staff Wr Facing perhaps the most diff women's tennis team has its si AIAW national tournament for and finishing among the top five "This is definitely the tough played," said Ftead Coach Jef! year of coaching at USC. Kefalt 12 of the top twenty teams in \ that the seventh-ranked USC s somewhere between second anc "What I'm looking for at this the six best singles players c i*jcnnrt, rvuiajus said THE USC coach said this si losses as a result of the ce Gamecocks will face. "The sch going to have competition throu we get to nationals, we will kne said. USC, now 4-1, rebounded fr season in a tournament in Ind defeat the College of Charleston The USC squad fell to Indiana and placed third in the tournam attitude has improved following "We knew that Indiana was g< prepared," Kefalos said. He sa "that good win" over one of the easier to play, but that at this p is still in "limbo." In f < ???" 4 L in uic (jaoi iwu ycdi.1), U1C WO, state and national tournamei regional play and very few defc did not know yet if losing earli would affect the team's confidei NUMBER-ONE singles play us for to very position. THE HI d recruits from the Softball i i highly successful recognitic Association team) universiti ua ivjui vciy itisi iearns. M K)d arms," Martino sophistics said, and "educate PLAYKR Ann y her first year of "Many ftball and is ex- playing si out according to pitch, but They don' lso be looked to for pitcher ha xperience, Martino the super have," Mi rs Holly Booth and are considered "They'r rtino, and she ex- action, ar inP frnm ^o/'aivI i.... ? n . . w m UW.VIIII ilUVt' SOIIl yons and catcher Martinosi Extra speed is There I by Orlando Rebel the merg tmes and Sonya Intercollei (AIAW) a ocks will play over Athletic A; M I, 'HI 1 victicii. nicy aiso that has i rid Maryland, and Martino f< both at home and helpsprea nd national tour duled in May. "If we < f ield, Owens field, will be off should be ready for states will ' home opener. program,' zn after 1 '/ i itnfin we? art? definitely a top 16 team. If we play well, we could end up even better.' - Ron Smarr he said. Smarr said as the season Droeresses therp will be a more definite order of players, but he could not make selections until he had observed the players' performance in future matches. Injuries to team members have also caused delays in determining a final lineup, Smarr said. ? j uunjrom return tc A. Rantin iter icult schedule ever, the USC ghts set on returning to the the third consecutive year i teams in the country. lest schedule we have ever f Kefalos, now in his fourth >s said USC will face at least the nation this spring, and quad would probably finish 1 tenth. point in the season is to find md the three best doubles eason there could be more iliber of teams the Lady edule is set up so that we're ighout the season, and when >w what to expect," Kefalos om their first loss of the liana this past weekend, to 9-0, Wednesday at home, i 5-4 in the eight-team event eni. t\eiaios saia me team's ; the defeat. ood. It's not that we weren't lid once the team could get stronger schools it would be oint in the season, the team men's team has gone to the nts with no losses in the ?ats overall. Kefalos said he er than usual in the season ice. er Colette Bennett said the p ten KCKNT interest in fast pitch is perhaps due to public >n. Seventy-six percent of es now have fast pitch ost people don't realize the ition of the sport, Martino the key to its success is to me public." people think anybody j ow pitch can also play fast there are big differences, t realize the eliteness that a s to have to get to the top, or ; ior skill the players must irtinosaid. e in closer, there's more id there's more hitting. We e pretty talented women," iid. lave been questions about ; ing of the Association of giate Athletics for Women nd the National Collegiate ssociation (NCAA ), an issue not yet been resolved, but ?els that the merger would (I fast pitch more rapidly. I<> tfo NCAA only fast pitch [?red and all these slow pitch Ik- forced to add a fast pitch " Marti no said fine fall Brian McDonald, who was forced to miss matches with the Citadel and the College of Charleston returned to action in USC's win over Lander Monday. "I'm feeling confident. I'm just enjoying myself on the court. As a result, I'm playing better," said Mc Donald, who lost only four games in both his singles and doubles matches against Presbyterian. Teaming with McDonald for two doubles matches this season was Wink Coleman, who said the early success the two have been having could be a factor later in the season. Though no pairings are definite, Coleman said he enjoyed playing with McDonald. THE USC squad is looking forward to an upcoming trip s tough t > AIAW Carol Fui team was playing well for this haven't reached our full poten Bennett said. Bennett said the Indiana dc confidence. "We're coming al the tournament in Indiana, bi that we'll just have to work hai Bennett, who was undefeat position last year, said there \ season. Playing number one "but I'm trying not to put to< she said. ii-- *?? ?! i i iui in nit* nauonai the women's season will be Francisco, where the top eig compete. NUIVIBKK-FOUK singles pi team is looking forward to tlv give them the chance to imp higher ranked schools. "Everyone is determined everybody we're going to plaj to beat us," Barrie said. Barrie said at the start of long term goals, particularl; However, once the season s match at a time. The USC squad will be testet ....I I - " it mirwi'ij m'iuhii its mey in tomorrow at 11 a.m. Florida, up and ranked fifth in pre-se; strong challenge for the Lady C Florida has beaten llth-rat< Miami with only one loss al Brigham Young. Bennett said matches with good for the team's develoj nationals, we'll know exactly arc playing people above us," : season to Texas in March where they will face four of the top twenty teams in the country. During tnis time, use will face Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian, Texas and Trinity. "We need to win two of those four big matches," Smarr said. The USC team was scheduled to participate in the NCAA Indoor Tournament this month. The tournament would have been held in Tennessee and included 16 of the top teams in the nation. However, the tournament was cancelled, forcing USC to wait for the stronger competition. When the NCAA National Tennis Tournament is held in Athens, Georgia in May, the competition will be there, and USC is counting on making the trip, too. schedule, tourney f/erton stage of the season. "We still tial, but we're getting there," ?feat had not hurt the team's ong fine. We should have won Lit we didn't. But we learned rderand bare down more." ed at the number-two singles vould be no easy matches this will add more responsibility [> much pressure on myself," tournament, the highlight of a Nike tournament in San ht teams in the country will layer Gracie Barrie said the e tournament and said it will rove their record by playing to win. We realize that 1 is going to be tough and out the season the team had set y to finish in the top five, tarted they would take one 1 early on their ability to face isi iho University of Florida last year's national runnersason polls, should provide a iameeocks I'd Texas and eighth ranked [ the hand of number four teams such as Florida were )inent "Before we go into where we stand because we she said