The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 27, 1981, Page Page 10, Image 10
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