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8 Fogler bring Gamecock basketball coach Eddl Carolina's top high school prospects for what most experts say will be a Carolina voll i?@1 1 RYAN WILSON Hi. This Saturday brings the annual Carolina-Clemson football game and usually signals the end of fall sports. The only fall team normally playing after this weekend is the soccer team, which has made the NCAA tournament nine of the last 10 seasons. This fall sports year has been different. The football team can earn a bowl bid with a victory in Death Valley. Of all the news the two men's teams have generated, one team has quietly had a great season: the Gamecock volleyball team. Head coach Kim Hudson has created a winner in only her second year with the program. Her first season with the Gamecocks ended with a 15-18 overall record and 4-10 in the SEC. The team finished this season with a 20-9 overall record and 8-6 in the SEC, the best conference record since joining in 1991. The season ended on a high note as the Gamecocks shocked Florida 3-1 Sunday. I was one of the 900 to attend the game Sunday, and I could not stop thinking about the Carolina-Kentucky basketball game that ended Coach Eddie Fogler's first season. Just like the Kentucky game, the Lady Gamecocks came in underdogs, but outplayed the Gators and broke their 41-SEC game winning-streak. These two victories, Florida and Ken v."***'.;*;;' ; ' !<.*'.".?* * i V-G >** ? * ' '" VV*:-*:*0 are gra Univer :.V. '/ Xv.:/? :v* -v*t %SiflQraduate! wifNoie < -:: ?:: Wv'.y::W i ?: arm *$ LARGE METAL (L0205, L2823) $1 OUTDOORSMAN (L0216, L9500) JM $? WAYFARER (L2009, L2053) No 111 l>TWiT7T?^r X * J k LVI ".r* r* J *t*' b * (s in top stat i File photo le Fogler signed three of South . These three signees are the basis top ten recruiting class. eyball quietly fn^lrv rrivo ouorv Pamlina fan inct a taafp bUWV > T ^ VWVU14M ~ of what these coaches can accomplish. As coach Brad Scott's first regular season comes to an end Saturday, win or lose, the Gamecocks already have a better record than they did last year. All of this can be attributed to one man: Mike McGee. He has received a lot of flak about the Panthers, but when it comes to Carolina athletics, he has brought in only the best. Getting back to volleyball, I, for one, am excited about the Gamecocks' chances in the postseason. They are a very good team with upperclassmen experience and young talent. Take Shani Abshier, a freshman from Tucson whose play has earned her a starting position. She is an aggressive player who will only get better. If s only when she gets excited and starts to jump around that you realize she is still just 18. Imagine what she'll be like in three years. Cary Beeson is the Gamecock's defensive specialist. She comes in during serving situations and has made the best of her role. The junior from Palos Verdes, Calif., is always focused when she is on the court, and it shows in her play. The key to the Gamecock attack is senior setter Jodi Thompson. Thompson is the one who should get some credit for the kills that Amy Iannoccari and Kori Ermigarat have collected this season. She has been very consistent this season and is one of the vocal leaders on the team. Everytime I have seen an interview with junior Katie Gerst, she is always smiling. When she is on the court, she has - ::::y:' :: ' ' .:,.V..S : ; vAVv.-*. iduate students a sity of South Car *' >*;* ':: *.;* \' i v. :* . Student Apprecial :mber 16, 1 50% OFF* I ected Sunglass Styles sgular Sale noo $50 12.80 $56.40 14.60 $42.30 See store for selected styles, other discounts apply. Expires 11/30/94. The Gamecock ;e basketbal Staff Reports University of South Carolina men's basketball coach Eddie Fogler announced Monday the signings of three individuals for the 1995-96 season. The group is made of three studentathletes from the Palmetto state, giving Fogler and his staff five players on next year's roster from South Carolina. This year's class includes: B.J. McKie (G, 6-feet-2-inches, 175 pounds, Irmo, S.C. Irmo High School); Leonard "Bud" Johnson (C, 6-feet-10 inches, 220 pounds, Columbia, S.C. Eau Claire High); William Gallman (F, 6-feet-7-inches, 210 pounds, Chester, S.C. Chester High School). "We feel we were able to fill some holes with this year's recruiting class," Fogler said. "We are particularly pleased to be able to keep some of the best players in the state of South Carolina at home and give them the opportunity to play in front of family and friends over the next four years." McKie is a consensus Top 25 national player by major recruiting services and is considered the nation's third best high school point guard by the Bob Gibbons All Star Report. He averaged 21.8 points and 3.2 assists per game last year in leading Irmo to the state AAAA championship dominating i EESEIB Arkansas 1 LSU 1 Kentucky ' Qle Miss Georgia Alabama Miss. State 1 South Carolina J Florida Auburn 1 Tennessee ' the task of recognizing the opposing team's sets. In the Florida game, she was instrumental in many of the Gamecock rallies. She should continue to be a force in the SEC next year. Speaking of dominant forces, USC's starting outside hitters have been one of the main reasons for the Gamecock's success. Junior Kori Ermigarat, a transfer from San Diego State, has fit nicely into Hudson's system. She also has taken some of the pressure off of Carolina's main weapon: Amy Iannoccari. Iannoccari has had a great year. She has the honor of being the first USC volleyball player to be named as SEC Player of the Week. The senior from Miami fittingly completed the Florida upset by tt'theflflljA Dlina|j|||W \ . V "J. : V. v: ] \V.. V :ion?Day ! flW 994 / 3 Wednesday, November 16, 1994 ? J I prospects and a 31-3 record. McKie was a Nike and Street & Smith's All-American and earned all-state honors as well. Going into the 1994-95 season, McKie has led Irmo to a combined record of 73-9. Johnson will become the third individual in six years from Eau Claire to play for the Gamecocks. The center led the Shamrocks to the state AAA championship last season and a 25-6 overall record. Johnson averaged 14.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots per game. He is considered by the Bob Gibbons All-Star Report as the fifth best senior center in the nation. Gallman is a very athletic player who posted some fine numbers as a junior at Chester High School. Gallman averaged 26 points, 17 rebounds and 4 assists per game as Chester finished 16-9 and advanced into the state AAAA playoffs. Gallman has been a starter his first three years at Chester, averaging 16 points and 13 rebounds as a sophomore and 13 points and 11 points as a freshman. "Overall, I'm pleased with the job our staff did to attract quality young men to the University of South Carolina and the basketball program," Fogler said. competition ETHAN MYERSON / Gamecock Graphics scoring the final two kills. Not only is the team enjoying one of its best seasons, the team members are also overachieving in the classroom. In all, seven team members were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. They are Amy Iannoccari, Tami Green, Jodi Thompson, Cary Beeson, Katie Gerst and Anna Wasilewska. My biggest regret is not seeing more of the home games than I did. Watching a volleyball game is comparable to watching a basketball game. Whether or not your team is winning, you are going to see something you've never seen before. The Gamecock Sports staff wishes the USC volleyball team the best of luck in the postseason. CAROL AWAD r\TTnii NC For more information about Car Jonathan at DonTFo ** A Scott read taste of oli Early wins not as important as building a successful program, says Gamecock head coach. (AP) ? South Carolina coach Brad Scott may need to take a course in logic. He says his Gamecocks, which have lost four of their last five, are better than six weeks ago, when they had a 4-1 record and were the talk of the I Southeastern Con- I ference. Under Scott's reasoning, if South I Carolina gets any I better, they may I not win another I game. "Even though we won some early, I think our football team is better than it was earli- jhL er in the year," Scott said Monday. The Game- "Even thOUj cocks first winning season in four SOUie ear! years and their OUFfOOtba first bowl trip since |^uM ths 1988 are on the Dei*er in< line as they close eaflief in I the season at Head Football Cc Clemson on Sat urday. Scott said he told his team to forget about their sizeable 48-17 loss to No. 3 Florida as soon as the game ended and begin focusing on the Tigers. And there's a lot of good to focus on, the coach says. Scott said he sees the improvement on film, if not in the standings. The coach said the week-toweek execution and preparation has improved, while annoying little mistakes have been eliminated. Steve Taneyhill is in the midst of his most productive season, with 2,003 yards, 18 TDs and a completion rate of 64.5 percent. The defensive line, led by end Stacy Evans and tackle David Turnipseed, is giving up just 146 yards rushing a game. And thaf s what's important as Scott enters the final regularseason game of his first season. "Ifs frustrating because you're losing, but I've still got to look at the big picture," he said. "Hopefully, their character and their work habits and the experience that they're gaining and the folks [NA FOR K.1 ENESS WEI (VEMBER14-18,1994 Does the thought of lother you? If so, here are 3 ways to \ 1) Make a point of finding at k each day during the week. 2) Buy a Secret Pal Note for a on Mon. or Wed. between 1 benefit The Children's Gard children). 3) Join us on Ttosday at 6pm i child abuse. nlinil For K ! He nr Awarpnnw W 4-1099, or Jennifer at 731-4493 rget^^ Every Friday, The Ga will feature valuable c from our regular adv< in the "Coupon Clip section. Save on your favc restaurants, clothing c more! So get out your scizzc start clippin'! y for new rl rhralrr Lt X 1 f Ull J we're playing late in the year, will let us build." Scott said as soon as the Florida game ended, he told the players what they had to do to ensure a 31-point loss would never happen again. "There are benefits from losing, but certainly, I'd rather be winning," he said. A win on Saturday against South Carolina's I arch-rival would take care of many PI^VIIIM,IC nally give the Gamecocks their all-important sixth - J for a possible Carquest Bowl appearance on Jan. 2. It also would be South Carolina's first winning season in three years fii* pho*j of SEC play. "I think Spl we won everybody around . here knows what y, I think II IC7CIIII 19 ociiiui tigut ciiu Sx ae Boomer Foster III li WMw j UK 1 said. As long as ;he year" I've been here ,ach Brad Scott there's been no bigger game than this." Clemson has won five of the past six meetings with South Carolina, but the Gamecocks won two years ago at Death Valley. The Tigers have turned around their season with three straight victories. They stand 5-5 and, despite no hopes of a bowl bid, are eager for the winning season that at one time seemed guaranteed at South Carolina. The Gamecocks started 4-1, then faltered. Many times, however, they were close to victory only to fall to defeat. They trailed East Carolina 27-0, but got the lead to 27-21 before losing. They wiped out a 21point Mississippi State lead a week later and took a 36-35 advantage, but a late TD gave the Bulldogs the win. Against Tennessee, South Carolina trailed 24-3 at halftime before rallying to make the final score 31-22. "If s frustrating to play good games and all of a sudden break down and let a team slip in on you," South Carolina defensive end Chris Rumph said. "We've just got to wane sui e we worn hard this week." LD.s CK child abuse let involved: ;ast one statistic on campu: friend in front of the RH 1 and 3. All proceeds will [en (a daycare for homeles; in RH 302 for a speaker on eek, please call mecock :oupons ertisers ^ >pers" I >rite A and lots A >rs, and