/ ^ A Gamecock Sports Schedule
® Volleyball at Tennessee, Friday, 7 p.m.
B^ ]B B^^ B ■ Men’s golf at Hilton Head Invitational, Friday-Sunday
I B B B B B B ■ Swimming vs. California, Saturday, 2 p.m.
^ <^F JPL ■ Basketball exhibitions at Carolina Coliseum,
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. (women’s) and 7 p.m. (men’s)
Page 8 'CIlC 031HCCOCk • Friday, November 3,2000
Men’s soccer to take on
No. 2 North Carolina
■ Gamecocks
looking for a
repeat of last
season's 3-2 win
by Kyle Almond
The Gamecock
With two games remaining in
the regular season, the USC men’s
soccer team hopes to finish the sea
son strong and make a lasting im
pression on the NCAA Tournament
Selection Committee.
On Sunday at the Graveyard,
the second-ranked North Caroli
na Tar Heels (16-2) stand in their
way.
“It’s a big game in the South
(Region),” Carolina forward Jor
dan Quinn said. “If we win, we can
get some more respect, move up in
the polls and get to the tournament.”
Many would think USC (11
2-3, No. 19 NSCAA) has already
clinched a spot in the post-season.
After all, the Gamecocks were
ranked as high as fourth in the
country and have upset No. 1 Vir
ginia, No. 2 Penn State and No. 8
Maryland along the way.
But captain Tim Glowienka says
the Gamecocks .have a lot more
work to do.
“We’re not in the tournament
yet by any means,” the sophomore
defender said. “It’s still up in the
air.”
North Carolina, also ranked No.
1 by Soccer Times, is looking to
avenge last year’s 3-2 loss to the
.Gamecocks in Chapel Hill. In that
Igame, Glowienka was the hero,
scoring the game-winner in the 66th
minute. Overall, USC holds a slight
10-9-1 advantage against the Tar
Heels.
UNC is led by junior forward
Chris Carrieri, a National Player
of the Year candidate. Carrieri has
been virtually unstoppable for the
Tar Heels all season, averaging
more than three points a game and
one goal a game. He leads the ACC
in every major offensive category,
including points (52), goals (20)
and assists (12). His 20-goal total
is a school record.
Senior forward Caleb Norkus
;and senior midfielder Michael Bucy
;are also scoring threats for UNC,
Iwho has outscored opponents this
season 64-14.
' In goal, junior Michael
Ueltschey has been steady, regis
tering six shutouts on the season.
Both teams come into Sunday’s
contest with their confidence soar
ing. UNC has won nine straight
games while USC is coming off a
weekend in which it destroyed The
Citadel and Charleston Southern
by a combined score of 11-1.
Last Friday, at the Mt. Pleasant
Invitational in Charleston, the
Gamecocks scored five unanswered
goals to put away The Citadel 5-1.
The following day, six different
Gamecocks scored in a 6-0 rout of
Charleston Southern.
The offensive explosion came
at an important time for the Game
cocks. The previous weekend,
USC’s struggles in the final third
of the field were pivotal in its over
time loss to Bucknell in the Game
cock Soccer Classic.
“It was a relief (to score a lot
of goals),” Quinn said. “I knew we
were capable of doing it, I guess it
just took some time. We are in a
rhythm now though and we are hap
py with the way we’re finishing.
We want to keep it that way.”
Quinn said the Gamecocks will
be well prepared for the Tar Heels.
“Big games are fun to play, and
they’re so easy to get ready for,”
he said. “We have all week to get
ready for this one game.”
To Glowienka, the key will be
attention to detail.
“It’s all about the little things,”
he said. “That’s winning individ
ual battles and finishing chances
when given the opportunity.”
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Sean Rayford The Gamecock
USC’s Ryan Daley rises above the Furman defense for a header.
Daley and the No. 19 Gamecocks are looking to knock off their
fourth top 10 team of the season on Sunday, against No. 2 UNC.
Women’s soccer
coach resigns
by Kyle Almond
The Gamecock
Sue Kelly, the only coach
in the six-year history of South Car
olina’s women’s soccer team, resigned
Wednesday.
“I’d like to take this oppor
tunity to thank all of my players
and coaches who have invested a great
deal of hard work, time and effort in
KELLY to this program over the past six
years,” Kelly said Wednesday from
the USC Athletics Department. “It’s been an honor
coaching these ladies.”
Kelly and the Gamecocks have just finished a dis
appointing season with a 4-16 overall record and a 1
8 record in SEC play. The 2000 season also marks the
fourth time in six years that USC hasn’t qualified for
the postseason SEC Tournament.
“This decision comes with much thought and care
ful reflection,” Kelly said. “We took over this program
from the ground level and worked as hard as we
could to establish a foundation for future success.”
Despite the Gamecocks’ troubles this season, Kel
ly is confident the team will rebound.
“With the majority of the team returning next sea
son, I believe there is the opportunity for this pro
_ _ a
gram to successfully compete at both the SEC and
NCAA levels,” Kelly said. “I appreciated the opportu
nity I have been afforded to coach at USC and I wish
the Gamecocks nothing but the best in years to come.”
South Carolina athletic director Mike McGee ex
pressed his gratitude to Kelly on Wednesday.
‘The athletics department is grateful to Coach Kel
ly for her efforts and for the contributions she has made
to this program,” McGee said. “We wish her much suc
cess in all of her future endeavors.”
Kelly came to USC when women’s soccer began
varsity play in 1995. An assistant coach at Arkansas for
three seasons, the County Cork, Ireland native coached
the Gamecocks to an overall record of 55-57-5 (15-33
2 SEC).
USC’s best seasons came in 1998 and 1999. In 1998,
the team went to its first and only NCAA Tournament,
and the following year the Gamecocks won a school
record 14 games.
But the team suffered through an injury-filled 2000.
season in which it was outscored by opponents 62-22.
Kelly will be compensated through the remainder
of her contract, which runs through May 30, and the
search for her replacement is now taking place.
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Men s goll season concludes
by George Simpson
The Gamecock
The USC fall golf season ends this weekend in Hilton
Head with the Golf World Intercollegiate at Palmetto
Hills.
The USC men’s team has been doing pretty well for
themselves this season. Heading into the final tourna
ment of the fall, the Gamecocks are ranked third in the
nation by Golfweek and feature two golfers in the top
10.
With all the sports attention on campus going to the
football and soccer teams, the accomplishments of
Coach Puggy Blackmon’s squad have gone virtually
unnoticed.
But without all of the attention, the team has been
able to go about its business every day and continue to
climb in the rankings. In doing so, they have become
one of the most successful teams on campus, helping
to boost USC’s dominance in the SEC this season.
The Gamecocks head into this weekend’s tourna
ment featuring two of the nations best players in sopho
more Johan Kok and senior Kyle Thompson. Kok is
currently ranked tenth nationally and Thompson third
by Golfweek.
Kok tied for third at the Inverness Intercollegiate
and was the medalist at The Ridges Intercollegiate.
Overall, his stroke average is right at 72.
Thompson has been nothing but stellar in his final
season. He tied for third at Inverness Intercollegiate
with Kok and was the medalist at the Carpet Capital
Collegiate. He has registered three top 20 finishes and
his overall stroke average of 71.33 is tops on the
team.
Both players are candidates for SEC Golfer of the
Year and could contend for National Player of the Year.
Coach Blackmon knows he will get solid perfor
mances from his two superstars, but it will be the sup
porting cast that makes the difference in the tourna
ment. Aside from Kok and Thompson, teeing off for
the Gamecocks will be freshman Brent DelaHoussaye
and seniors John Bloomfield and Lars Cederqvist. .
Of the supporting cast, only Bloomfield has seen
significant tournament action. He has participated in
all three tournaments and holds the third lowest
stroke average on the team. Solid play from Cederqvist
and DelaHoussaye is essential for the team to win the
tournament.
Of course, big time tournaments are nothing new
to Blackmon. There is no doubt that he will have his
golfers mentally focused and ready to compete.
Since his arrival at USC in June 1995, Blackmon has
prepared his teams to be among the elite and to perform
in the same manner. He has quietly molded this group
of young golfers into a force to be contended with
and has put belief in their hearts.
They will need that belief and mental toughness this
weekend as they will compete against the finest
teams in the nation, including a Georgia team ranked
number one nationally and in-state rival Clemson, who;
is number two. .
Blackmon knows a high finish this weekend will '
help his team in the second half of the season. His cori- '
fidence is high, as is the team’s, concerning the re'-1 I
mainder of the schedule and the NCAA’s.
» 1
“It has always been my goal to win the national i
championship and I believe that can be accomplished,’’ >
he said.
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Volleyball digs in tor tinal road matches ot season
by Rick Johnston
The Gamecock
The Carolina volleyball team hits the
road again this weekend for a pair of key
SEC match-ups as they face the Tennessee Vol
unteers tonight and travel to Kentucky for a
Sunday afternoon game.
The team was off this past weekend, the
first schedule for head coach Kim Christopher
with a such a bye week during the season.
She said the team has spent much of the
extra time working in the weight room and
on fundamentals.
“With the season as long as it is, it can be
hard to get in the weight room to keep strong
and keep in shape,” Christopher said.
Christopher has also implemented some
changes on offense to help the team down this
stretch run. “The girls have responded very
well,” she said.
One such change recently implemented is
the serving of sophomore Berna Dwyer.
At the beginning of the year, junior Liz Price
substituted in for Dwyer in serving situations
due to Dwyer’s struggles with her hamstrings.
Now with a healthy Dwyer, the Gamecocks
have more options to choose from.
“Berna has a completely different serve
than Liz and attacks well from the back line.
It just gives us more options, depending on the
situation,” Christopher said.
The Gamecocks take on the Tennessee Vol
unteers (20-5, 8-3 SEC) tonight at 7 p.m. in
Knoxville. The Vols are coming off of a week
end where they went 2-1, beating Appalachi
an State and Georgia and falling to East-lead
ing Florida.
A player to watch for the Volunteers will
be sophomore outside hitter Kelli Scott who
totaled 24 kills and 25 digs on the week.
In the two teams’ previous meeting this sea
son in Columbia, the Gamecocks won in a three
game sweep by scores 15-3, 15-11 and 15-7.
Dwyer and sophomores Cally Plummer and
Nadia Sefferovich each notched 12 kills for the
match. The Vols have since lost one player and
changed others around on the court.
“Our game plan and home crowd took Ten
nessee out of its rhythm early,” Christopher
said. “Now we are the road team and we have
to make sure that we are the ones who don’t
get knocked out of our rhythm.”
The Gamecocks will then travel to Ken
tucky to take on the Wildcats Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Wildcats (4-18, 2-9 SEC) are coming off
of two straight losses to Georgia and Florida.
“We’ve had problems in the past at Ken
tucky, so this will be a big game,” Christopher
said.
In their last meeting with UK this season,
the Gamecocks took out the Wildcats in an
other three-game sweep, winning by scores of
15-0, 15-10 and 15-4. Sefferovich and sopho
more Sam Alban each had 11 kills and senior
defensive specialist Sara Heri added three ser
vice aces in the victory.
In order to have a successful weekend,
Christopher says the team will have to reduce
unforced and service errors.
“We match up well with both teams.
Whether we win or lose this weekend will
depend a lot on if we can reduce mistakes
that we can control, such as unforced errors,”
Christopher said.
According to Christopher, this weekend’s
games, along with next weekend’s, are crucial
for not only conference standings but for NCAA
Tournament berths as well.
‘Teams that are determined will peak at the
right time. This is a big mental push to get wins
and to rise to the championship level,” Christo
pher said.
“The girls seem to be ready for the chal
lenge to rise to that next level.”
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Amy Goulding The Gamecock
Gamecocks Nadia Sefferovich, Niece Curry and Cally Plummer (l-r) rise for a
block against Mississippi State.