The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 21, 1997, Page 9, Image 9
Edlund, L
BRYAN JOHNSTON Sports Editor
Three Gamecocks made the A11-SE<
volleyball team, with two on the first tear
Q and one on the second team, as announce
by the SEC Thursday.
Senior Heather Larkin made scho(
history by being named to the A11-SE(
squad for four years ? a first for USC vol
leyball. She is just the second person ij
school history to be named All-SEC all fou
years.
Carolina's three-time All-America]
golfer Siew Ai Lim was also named all fou
years.
? Junior setter Ashley Edlund mad
the hrst team tor the second year m a row
She has made the All-SEC team all thre
years of her career.
Sophomore transfer Crystal Moon
was named to the All-SEC second team
It's a first time honor for Moore.
A four-year starter, Larkin has madi
the first team the past three years. Thi
middle blocker made all four All-Tour
nament teams this fall and was namec
? MVP of one.
The Lake Elmo, Minn., native was
named SEC Player of the Week Oct. 6
after her triple-double in the win over No
22 Arkansas.
She leads the team in kills, attempts
and block solos and is second on the team
in hitting percentage, block assists and total
blocks.
Larkin is No. 2 in career kills and No
4 in career block assists at USC. On the
year, she had six double-doubles and had
18 matches in double-figure kills.
She hit over .368 in seven SEC matches
and had a career-best 24 kills against
Kentucky.
"If s exciting for our school that more
and more players are making it each year,"
Larkin said. "It shows how we continue to
get respect."
A co-captain, Edlund made the first
team for the second consecutive year
^ and the All-SEC team for the third year,
She had her second triple-double oi
her career against Ole Miss, which led to
Gamecock 1
LARRY WILLIAMS Staff Writer
It began inauspiciously with a loss
to UVa. Then came an encouraging close
loss to UNC. But then clemson came to
Columbia and dominated USC.
What began as a season of promise
had already turned ugly?and the SEC
schedule hadn't even begun.
But after the dreadful start that
included the even more dreadful losses
to UNC-Asheville and Charleston
Southern, the Gamecocks reeled off 18
of their last 19 regular season games.
a With an exceptional blend of nerve,
^ excitement and explosiveness, USC
shocked the state and, for that matter,
the rest of the country, when it climbed
as high as No. 4 after a season-ending
win at UK, a win that earned the team
the SEC Championship.
StSBi
For Games P
The Wint
Dec. 5,1997 thr
Gar
!
St. Joseph's (PA)
South Carolina Stat
Towson State
Vanderbilt
I nni<;iana State
*
Special distribution of si
Monday Dec.l and Tuesi
until 4 p.m. Distribution
the Russell House. Studi
available on game day a
Office Student Ticket wi
halftime of the game. Vali
for the SEC games and i
conference games. Valid
at distribution or at the C
Students are not guars
to each game, only the r!
-i. i.>i
as Siuuem uvrvois are a
Remember, the good s
your ticket as soon as y<
Handicapped or disabl
^ assistance by cal
irkin garr
her being named SEC Player of the
Oct. 13.
She is No. 2 in career assists ai
11 one more year to reach the recorc
leads the team in hitting percentag
assists and is tied for the team lead ii
The Portage, Mich., native made
^ All-Tournament teams this fall, m
a it a total of nine all-tournament tea
r her three-year career.
Edlund was excited to receive th
a or, but said it wasn't as important a
r er things.
?Ti.> x. i . j i?- -
its mce to De recognizea ior
e work, but it doesn't mean as much a
' far our team is going to go," Edlund
e "I'd much rather have our team do
great than for me to have these av
B "I set team goals at the beginn
the year, not individual, but it's ni<
coaches recognize my play."
USC Head Vollevball Coach Km
8
son was very happy for the two first-1
I ers.
"I'm really proud of Heather and
} ley," Hudson said. "It's a really goo
; complishment for them. They cert
are deserving of that award."
Moore, a transfer from New M
i State, has made an immediate in
i on the team, starting every match bu
She's the team's primary passer.
The outside hitter is tied for the
' lead in aces and is second on the teg
kills and digs.
She made two All-Tournament t
in 1997 and had eight double-doubles,
four in SEC play.
"Crystal has done a fine job this
, adapting to our system," Hudson sa
' knew she would be a good player
i I'm a bit surprised at her progress."
The Gamecocks, 19-6 overall a
; school-best 11-3 in the SEC, trav
' Athens, Ga., this weekend for the
Tournament. They take on Ole Miss
r a.m. Friday in the first round oi
i tournament.
basketball i
Of course, we all know what hap
pened next. By their own fault, USC
self-destructed Fell apart. Disappeared.
Completely forgot how to play.
Whatever. In the SEC tournament's
second round, UGA handled the
Gamecocks with alarming comfort The
shots that fell the previous two months
were nowhere to be found.
So perhaps the loss to Georgia ?
USC's second to the Bulldogs in 199697
? should have come complete with
a sign warning fans what would happen
if the Gamecocks failed to show
again in the NCAAs.
But it didn't. At least not in
Pittsburgh. Not to the No. 2-seed in the
tournament. Not against No. 15-seed
Coppin State. Coppin who?
It's not the question anyone's asking
now. No one who knows anything
toe
QQ'QM&se
ratSsoa
layed During
er Break
u Jan. 12, 1998
riQC
I I o
Sat. Dec. 20
;e Tues. Dec.23
Tues. Dec.30
Wed. Jan.7
Sat. Jan.10
:udent tickets will be
day Dec.2 from 9 a.m.
will be in Room 205 of
ent tickets will also be
t the Coliseum Ticket
ndow from 9 a.m. until
idation will cost $12.00
>10.00 cash for nonations
will be available
oliseum on game night.
inteed a student ticket
ight to a ticket as long
mailable.
eats go early, so get
[>u can.
ed students can get
ling 777-6742.
The Qamecock
ler honors
?e V"~V
iaceS j
really *:"r' LTT I 111' Camerock
ards- Heather Larkin (above) and
ingof Ashley Edlund were named to
thp the All-SEC first tonm.
Sophomore transfer Crystal
Moore was named to the second
Hud- team.
j
but ifP ^
:
ind a V*
el to v i
SEC ^
at 11 m
f the #_!__ ,
: ?
;eam hopes tc
about college basketball in these parts, p
! Shocker of shockers, the Eagles beat o
Carolina. Handily. It wasn't even close.
That brings us to this season. a
Presumably, USC has learned from Sl
1 its mistakes, which last season were ^
, ? , ? , . v,
iew ana iar oetween, Dut costly inaeea. 11
1 Surely the Gamecocks have uttered and 8
heard the platitude "anyone can win on s1
any given day" enough that they actu- ?
ally believe it. ^
L Are these Gamecocks the sixthbest
team in the nation? Obviously the
Associated Press voters think so. With- P
out question, so do USC's fans. But a
coach Eddie Fogler, true to form, has
( said he believes No. 6 might be a bit B
i of an exaggeration. That's fine.
But Fogler is Fogler, right? He's b
never been known to tell everyone and ii
: anyone how good his team is. He's more a
CAROLINA
Open Audi
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Then come audition i
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Monday Dec. 1, 7:00 pm, N<
1 Hour Credit MWF
for more inform
Dr. Richard Conanl
Regional Customer
We are looking for customer-focused,
join our state-of-the art call center loca
PART-TIME CUSTOI
TEAM MEMI
The successful candidate will have one
experience (preferably in a high call vol
communication skills and the ability to
Customer service team members assis
service ana aeiivery ana must maintain
ensuring quality service. PC experience
requires a four to five hour morning or;
a week. Weekends and holiday work re
Applications for this position will be s
successful completion of typing, spellii
requirement 30 wpm.
Call our human resources division by V
schedule an appointment for these app
The State Neu
Human Resource
/an 771.1
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An Equal Opportun
Pre-Employment Drug Screens and Crim
[m Friday, November 21,1!
Gamecocl
take on tl
NATHAN BROWN Asst. Sports Edit<
In their previous exhibition game,
the No. 6 Gamecocks were dealt a disappointing
loss to Marathon Oil. Bu1
USC, coming off a big win against
Maryland in their regular-season open
er, pummeled Chemosvit-Slovakia 8554
in their final exhibition game of the
year.
Carolina Head Coach Eddie
Fogler seemed rather pleased with his
team's performance, but recognized
Chemosvit is not the same caliber oi
team as the Gamecocks.
"[My goals were to] play better
than against Marathon Oil and play
everyone, win or lose," Fogler said.
"Hopefully, we can execute better and
''
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SEAN RAYFORD The Ga
Junior Recus Nix loses control c
ball on his way to the hoop.
i repeat las
rone to downplay a victory than pump
ne up. Right? Sort of.
Fogler has generally given honest
nalysis of his teams. Before his first
eason, Fogler said, more or less, that
is team stunk. And it did. Same for
is second year. Before his third seaon,
he said his team would make
trides, and it did, finishing in the N.I.T.
iefore his fourth year, he said his team
'ould challenge in the SEC. Of course,
ISC won the SEC.
Barring a rash of injuries or a mass
layer revolt, the Gamecocks should be
verv ?rood team this vear.
True, USC is good. Thaf s old news,
iut how good?
The Gamecocks certainly weren't
ad in their 76-72 win over Maryland
1 the opener last Friday. Taking into
ccount last year's meek beginnings for
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997
is crush Sh
le Bulldogs
>r play with a lot more emotion than we
did against Marathon Oil.
? "[I] hope this is a positive step,
whether this is a practice or a game
: todav. I think it was. Of course, we are
; a lot better team than what they are
and should win easily, which we did.^
The win was spearheaded by senior
forward Ryan Stack, who finished
with 15 points.
To start the game, Stack swished
a three-pointer and followed with four
j more points to score seven of USC's
first 11 points.
By game's end, Stack had snagged
three rebounds, shot 75 percent from
the free-throw line and was perfect
from behind the three-point arc.
Fogler attributes Stack's im* *3
proved play to him becoming more
J sure of himself on the court.
"I think the big key with j
$ ?i Stack is confidence," Fogler said. (
j^Jjgj "Stack finally believes he's as good
I as we thought he was. We've alI
ways thought Ryan is better than 1
fRff what Ryan thought." c
I With Stack's quick points,
the Gamecocks jumped out to a
small lead.
But behind a strong offen- j
sive showing by all players,
ChemosvitVdeficit soon be- ^
came an insurmountable 25
points by the end of the first half, c
In the second half, the Game- 1
cocks increased their lead to 32
|~jg before winning by 31. Caroli- f
na's offense kept Chemosvit's de- ?
SS fense guessing, but USC's defense t
dominated the Eastern Euro- f
peans. <
* * The Slovakian team was held *
' scoreless for the first six minutes c
and 17 seconds of the game. For
j the entire first half, the Game- 1
mecock cocks allowed only 18 points, t
?f the forced 16 turnovers and had a to- 1
tal of nine steals. j
t season's pe
USC, any win is a quality win, notably
one over Maryland. 1
If the Maryland victory told us any- 5
thing about these Gamecocks, it let us 1
lrnnw fhovHl ho a lnt lilro fhov woro Tact }
year.
Case in point. After the first quar- s
ter against Maryland, USC found itself
down 20-9. Sure enough, though, there
was Bj Mckie notching three consecutive
three-point plays to forge a halftime
tie with the Terps. Mckie's outburst
had 1996-97 written all over it.
So did Melvin Watson's. With a lit
tie time left in the game and his team
down by three, Watson threw up a
prayer from NBA range that was answered,
and the game went into overtime.
Minutes later, it was Watson again
sinking a three from the top of the
key ? this time about three feet closer
? to assure his team the victory.
if ]\
?
QUALITY* VALL
I REE
REEDS CHARGE MAJOR CRE
9
wakians,
tonight
Every South Carolina player who
dressed saw playing time and contributed
to the win. Junior guard BJ
Mckie was the leading scorer with
16 points. Junior forward William Gallman
pulled down the most rebounds
with nine. Senior center George Formanek
had USC's only block. And
sophomore guard Hagen Rouse had a
team-high five assists.
Tonight, in the first regularseason
home game of the year, the
n -I i iii it. i
uamecocKS iook 10 Keep tneir two-game
winning streak alive as the Citadel
Bulldogs come to Frank McGuire Arena.
According to Fogler, USC has better
players, but that doesn't necessarily
guarantee a win.
"We are better in terms that we
have better players," he said. "We had
setter players against UNC-Asheville,
Charleston Southern, as well as
Coppin State.
"So I tell them all the time, and
[ tell them again, upsets happen in
:ollege basketball. And an upset could
lappen tonight, although we have bet;er
people."
The Citadel returns four starters
rom last season, including center Matt
^euman, guard Virgil Stevens and
piard Jamie Jenkins.
The 6-foot-8-inch Neuman needs
rnly 31 points to reach the 1.000-point
rhe way they fancy it, they'll be doing
he destroying, giants of the SEC they
:laim to be.
J IL M l xHR
IE SERVICE
DIT CARDS'LAYAWAY
nark in his career.
Stevens comes back as the
Dogs leading scorer with 14.4 points
ind leading stealer with 31 takes,
lenkins was picked a preseason AllSouthern
Conference choice by Street
k Smith. Coming off the bench to keep
Carolina's big men busy will be 7-foot
:enter Kirill Misyuchenko.
The Bulldogs will try to avenge
ast year's 85-55 loss. But USC leads
;he series 66-23 and is 41-9 in Coumbia.
The tipoff is scheduled for 8:07
).m.
rformance
Truth be told. Watson won't likey
burn the nets from long range this
.eason. He's a point guard known more
or his serendipities and quickness than
lis marksmanship.
The Gamecocks won't be able to
sneak up on teams like they did so of;en
last season, especially on the road.
Sarly conference games at Mississippi
state, Florida, Alabama, Vandy and
jSU served as good tests for the yet;o-be-proven
Gamecocks.
This year, they can look forward.
o packed houses most everywhere they
jo. Yes, the Gamecocks are the huntid
now in much the same fashion that
Kentucky is.
USC fans remember those days.