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Dominant Volunteer defense stuffs Carolina’s upset hopes CHARLIE DAVENPORT/THE GAMECOCK A pair of Tennessee defenders block a kill attempt by USC in Wednesday’s match. The Volunteers swept the Gamecocks in three games. By MEGAN GIBSON THE GAMECOCK It was a tough match Wednesday night for the Gamecock volleyball team as it hosted No. 20 Tennessee. The Lady Vols came into Columbia with an unblemished SEC record (3-0) and only one loss for the season (13-1). They added another win to their total when they defeated the Gamecocks in three straight games (30-23, 31-49, 30 14). “We didn’t play as competitively as I would have liked,” USC head coach Kim Hudson said. “We made quite a few unforced errors.” In game one, the Gamecocks struggled to get through the aggressive Tennessee defense. The Volunteers had a .429 team kill percentage while holding Carolina to a much lower .194 percentage. At one point, the Gamecocks trailed by as many as 11 points before gaining momentum and narrowing it down to Five. Middle hitter Lauren Ford (.500 kill percentage) helped keep South Carolina alive with quick hits off of setters Katelyn Panzau and Iris Santos. However, it was too little too late for the Gamecocks as they fell to Tennessee in game one, 23-30. Game two proved to be as fast-paced as the first game with scrappy defense and strategic plays. When the Gamecocks couldn’t get through the big Tennessee block, they played smart and tipped to the open holes on the court. Neither team led by more than one or two points, resulting in 17 ties and six lead changes. Lynae Vanden Hull scored four kills while Sarah Morgan and Nicole Miller added two each. The game came down to the wire when a kill by Panzau pulled Carolina ahead 29-28. Unfortunately, the Vols retaliated with a kill to steal the momentum and pull away with the heart-breaking win, 31 29. Carolina couldn’t seem to bounce back after the disappointment of game two. Tennessee took the early lead 6-0 before a kill by Morgan put Carolina on the board. Setting and attacking errors kept the Gamecocks to a low score while Tennessee sustained its energy to easily win the last game 30-14. . The Gamecocks are now looking ahead to their game tonight against Kentucky to improve their SEC record. “It’s important for this team to be more competitive,” Hudson said. “We need to play aggressively.” South Carolina hosts the Kentucky Wildcats tonight at 7 p.m. in the Volleyball Competition Facility. The Gamecocks are preparing for a tough opponent. “They’re a^ood solid team,” Hudson said. “They’re good defensively and well rounded offensively. I think it will be a good match” Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecocksports@gw7n.sc. edu USC to host pair of SEC foes ■ Georgia, Tennessee to travel to Columbia for weekend matchups By STEPHANIE PENDRYS THE GAMECOCK . The USC women’s soccer team (6-5, 0-2) returns to Columbia this weekend for a two-game home stand and the opportunity to even its SEC record. The weekend’s competition for USC gets under way Friday night against the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia (2-5-2, 0-2) arrives in Columbia after falling just * short against Mississippi State 1-0 in overtime this past weekend. It has been a disappointing season for the Bulldogs in comparison to their successful 2003 campaign. Georgia finished 2003 with a respectable 13-10 record (4-5 SEC) and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs have had problems finding the back of the net — only 11 goals have been scored this season, giving them a slim 1.2 goals scored-per-game average. The team is feeling the loss of graduated forward Jessica Winton, who earned first-team honors on the All-SEC First Team, NSCAA/Adidas All Southern Region Team and Soccer Buzz Magazine’s All-Southeast Region Team. Winton also became the first Georgia player to lead the SEC in both goals and points in season, with 16 and 39, respectively. Also returning for the Bulldogs this year is sophomore defender Marilee ' Eback. As a freshman, Eback effectively anchored the Georgia defense and earned spots on the All-SEC Freshmen Team and Soccer Buzz Magazine’s All Southeast Region honorable mention squad. She was also named the 2003 UGA/Nike Tournament’s Defensive Most Valuable Player because of her efforts. Friday night’s game will likely be a display of great defensive skill, with Eback and USC senior Sarah Lentz, who was recently named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after tallying game winning goals against Glemson and Charlotte, each patrolling in front of the goal boxes. The Gamecocks are hoping to claim a victory over a Georgia team that handed USC a 1 -0 defeat in Athens in 2003. Game time Friday night is 7 p.m. On Sunday afternoon, the Gamecocks will square off against the No. 16 Tennessee Lady Volunteers. Tennessee (5-2-2, 2-0) just swept through the state of Mississippi with the ferocity of a hurricane and gained two important SEC victories against Ole Miss and Mississippi State. The Vols will play the Gamecocks after a Friday night match in Gainesville against the No. 8 Florida Gators. In 2003, the Lady Vols captured the SEC Tournament Championship and took their NCAA tournament run all the way to the Sweet 16. Sunday’s game will be a match between a veteran Tennessee squad that is nine seniors strong against a young and talented USC team with three seniors and 13 freshmen on the roster. The Gamecocks will be fueled with thoughts of payback and are looking to avenge a pair of close losses to Tennessee last season. The Lady Vols defeated USC 3-2 in Knoxville during regular-season action. They were also the victors in a nail-biter of a first-round game during the 2003 SEC tournament where they beat the Gamecocks 1-0 on a penalty kick goal. USC will wrap up an up-and-down first half of the season that included a win over then No. 7 Clemson, but also saw the Gamecocks drop their first two conference games to Auburn and Alabama. A pair of wins would bring USC to 2-2 in the SEC. Kickoff for Sunday’s game is 1 p.m. at Stone Stadium. Comments on this story? E-rit&il ga7necocksports@giom.se. edit KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK Freshman defender Kali Neumann and a teammate go up for a header in an overtime win against Charlotte earlier this season. GAMECOCK CHALLENGE THE CHALLENGE: Every week, The Gamecock's readers and staff test their sports knowledge with game predictions. 6 West Virginia at Va. Tech Arkansas at 16 Florida 15 Purdue at Notre Dame _ 13 LSU at 3 Georgia 8 Auburn at 10 Tennessee Mississippi State at Vanderbilt 4 Miami at Georgia Tech Colorado at Missouri 10 California at Oregon St. USC at Alabama Jonathan Adam Hillyard Beam Sports Editor editor in chief (23-13) (26-10) Va. Tech WVU Florida Florida Purdue Purdue Georgia Georgia Auburn Auburn Vandy Vandy Miami_Miami Missouri Colorado California California Use use-” 14-10 28-21 David Wes Stagg Wolfe Design Viewpoir director editor (27-9) (21-15) WVUVa. Tech Florida Florida Purdue Purdue Georgia LSU Auburn Tenness* MSU Vandy Miami Miami Missouri Colorado California Oregon 5 USC Bama 34-31 34-13 Steven Mark Van Haren Lesko ts Copy Reader of editor the week (29-7) (25-11) WVU WVU Florida _Florida _ Purdue Purdue _Georgia , Georgia ?e Auburn _Auburn MSU MSU Miami Miami Missouri Colorado t. California California Bama USC 21-7 24-7 WANT TO BE READER OF THE WEEK? E-MAIL SELECTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK'S GAMES TO GAMECOCKSPORTS@GWM.SC.EDU. LAST WEEK’S RESULTS: The ReadeJ; of the Week was lights-out, topping the field with a 9-1 record while the rest of the field kept pace at 8-2 and 7-3. What TO WATCH COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Arkansas at Florida, noon, CBS. This week we find out if Arkansas is for real. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Purdue at Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m. NBC. Big test for Purdue in South Bend. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: LSU at Georgia, 3:30 p.m. CBS. 2003 SEC Championship game rematch. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: South Carolina at Alabama, 6 p.m. ESPN2 Gamecocks have never won in Tuscaloosa. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Auburn at Tennessee, 7:45 p.m. ESPN Two SEC unbeaten try to stay that Way. ■ BAMA Continued from page 7 passing, led by the incredible play of junior receiver Troy Williamson, who ranks first in the SEC and third in the nation in receiving yards, including four scoring plays of 55 yards or more. Williamson has caught touchdowns from both Gamecock quarterbacks — senior Dondrial Pinkins, who is expected to start against Alabama, and sophomore Syvelle Newton. Both quarterbacks will play tomorrow, as both have had flashes of brilliance this season. Sophomore tailback Demetris Summers was held out of the wins against South Florida and Troy, but he feels good and might play against the Tide. Summers sprained his ankle in the game against Georgia, but Coach Holtz said that the ankle did not seem to be bothering him in practice. Carolina’s rushing attack still averaged 150 yards in the last two games without Summers. Carolina’s defense has been a difference-maker this season, allowing an average of only nine points per game and only four touchdowns through four games. Freshman Ko Simpson and senior Jamacia Jackson might cause trouble for Alabama — ,hey have three interceptions, two touchdowns and 42 tackles between them. Alabama’s quarterback situation could force them to be one-dimensional, as Marc Guillon is young and inexperienced and the Tide s top two receivers are freshmen. If Carolina can continue to stop the run, Guillon will be forced to go to the air, where Simpson and Jackson should be waiting. The Gamecocks play at Alabama on Saturday at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2. Comments on this story ? E-„tatl gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu ■ CRIMSON Continued from page 7 “Everything was moving in slow motion to me. And Aaron was like, ‘Man, when you hit that corner, 1 was amazed. You hit another gear. That’s something I haven’t seen since I’ve been out here.’ And I was like, ‘Dang, it felt like I was moving slow.’” Johns is the third back in Bama’s stable, and led the Tide in rushing against Western Carolina, taking 11 carries for. 86 yards against an overmatched Catamount defense. The freshman has only played in two games but is a legitimate threat if he’s called on to play. Off the field, there are a couple of connections between the Tide and USC. Alabama running backs coach Sparky Woods was the head coach of USC from 1989-1993, leading the Gamecocks to a 24-23 win over Tennessee in 1992. However, the years separating Woods from Carolina have taken their toll. “I’m always interested in what’s going on there,” Woods said in the Mobile Register. “I check their scores. But I’m thankful to be working at Alabama. Since I don’t know the players, it’s not as interesting to me as when I was watching the progress of the players we recruited.” Shula also has a connection — he was quarterback of one of the only Alabama teams to beat Notre Dame, taking down the Irish in Birmingham in the mid-’80s while USC head coach Lou Holtz was at the helm of the golden domers. Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu ■ SUMMERS Continued from page 7 ■ break-out season this year. While many questioned whether he would receive th^ opportunity with at least five talented running backs rotating in and out of the game this fall, he managed to keep his cool and quietly lead Carolina in rushing against Vanderbilt with 11 carries for 87 yards. He even looked good early in the Georgia game, but the ankle injury halted his performance. Summers did manage to come back against Georgia and finished with two rushes for 13 yards, bringing his total for the season to an even 100. Those numbers might have been bolstered higher if he had played against lesser competition in South Florida and Troy, but the coaching staff made the move to let Summers rest his ankle. That move might pay dividends come Saturday. Alabama comes in right behind USC at number three in the lead of SEC rushing defenses, allowing about 108 yards a game. If Summers is available Saturday, he could provide a huge lift for t^c Carolina offense and give USC an old weapon at just the right time. “I’m thinking I can be ready Saturday for Alabama. That’s mv goal,” Summers said. “I want to get back out there real bad." Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu ■ SERIES Continued from page 7 make,” he said. Alabama coach Mike Shula doesn’t expect South Carolina, with mostly upperclassmen starting on offense, to rattle easily. “They’ve got a lot of experience coming in here,” Shula said. “They’re going to be coming in with a lot of confidence. We’ve got our work cut out for us.” Both teams have little margin for error in the SEC championship hunt after losing to division rivals Alabama to Arkansas and South Carolina to Georgia. Alabama is coming off it* onJy loss after three blowout victories, beset by an anemic passing game led by new quarterback Marc Guillon and some additional mistakes on defense and special teams. South Carolina has won back-to back non-conference games but didn’t exactly dominate in a 17-7 win over Troy. “This is an important game for us, Holtz said. “It’s a very important game for Alabama as well.” I—m