The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 28, 2005, Page 10, Image 10
Volleyball ends on winning note
Team sweeps Winthrop
in final matchup
of2005 campaign
I
IDiquel Jacobs
STAFF WRITER
USC volleyball coach Nancy
Somera ended her first season at
the helm of the program with
more positives than negatives
after sweeping Winthrop (30-18,
30-24, 30-20) Saturday at the
Volleyball Competition Facility.
The Eagles (28-5, 14-0),
reigning Big South regular
season and tournament
champions for four consecutive
seasons, entered the match with
an automatic berth in the
NCAA Tournament, learning
that it will carry a No. 12 seed.
However it was the Gamecocks
who looked like the motivated
team, out-blocking Winthrop
14-0 while limiting the Eagles to
hitting .088 with 42 kills and 32
errors. Carolina recorded 36 kills
and 10 errors for a .318 clip.
“We had solid blocking today
and were able to shut down their
attack game,” Somera said. “We
were able to force some errors on
their part. I am very pleased with
how we came out and played
today.”
Freshman Marija Milosevic
recorded 1-1 kills and hit. .435
while sophomore Crystal
Johnson recorded a team-high
and career-best seven blocks.
Senior Nicole Miller had one of
her best games of the season,
recording nine kills and hitting
.412. The Gamecocks never
trailed Winthrop in any of the
three games, recording the fifth
sweep of the season.
The win was No. 90 for
Somera, who took over the job
this year after a stint as coach at
Oregon State.
Seniors Miller and Sarah
Morgan finished their careers on
high notes, both entering the
Carolina record books in their
final home games. Millers two
blocks against Winthrop
finished her career with 281
blocks, ranking 10th all-time.
This was her second consecutive
season posting more than 100
blocks in a season. The senior
from Stockton, Calif., has not
decided on future plans yet, still
deciding between pursuing a
professional career and attending
graduate school. Miller is a two
time SEC Good Works Team
selection (2003, 2005), given
annually to an athlete to
recognize exemplary community
service efforts.
“We had a lot of fun,” Miller
said. “(Playing for coach
Somera) was a different type of
environment. She taught us a
lot.”
Morgan recorded four digs
against the Eagles to push her
career total to 972 digs. Her total
ties for ninth all-time among
Gamecock leaders. Originally
from Gibsonia, Pa., Morgan has
aspirations to play competitively
in Europe for a couple seasons.
Morgan was also named to the
SEC Good Works Team in 2004
and an SEC Academic Honor
Roll selection.
“(Morgan and Miller) have
meant a lot to our program,”
Somera said. “We’ll definitely
miss them. They did a nice job of
leading the team, even after an
NCAA Tournament bid was out
of the picture. They’ve left
behind a legacy here at Carolina.
We intend to build upon that,
and our players will continue to
work hard.”
The Gamecocks saw
breakout seasons for many
players this season, including
redshirt freshman Belita Salters,
who came on strong after the
injury to junior outside hitter
Lynae Vanden-Hull. Junior
Shonda Cole was named to the
second-team All-SEC team for
the second consecutive year
after passing the 1,000-kill
milestone for her career.
Milosevic was an All-Freshman
selection after finishing the
season second on the team in
kills (2.77 per game) and service
aces (29). She also finished
fourth on the team in digs (1.77
per game) and tied a school
record with 28 kills against
Kentucky.
Carolina ends its season 13-14
and 5-11 in conference play.
Somera’s first team went 6-4 at
home, the first winning record in
Columbia for the Gamecocks
since 2002.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu
Jtum fiWTHE GAMECOCK
First-year coach Nancy Somera's USC team finished with a win.
FOOTBALL • COflTIIIUEO FROdl 9
LSU will battle surging West
Virginia in the Nokia Sugar
Bowl if they take care of
Georgia in the SEC
championship game. LSU
could accept the SEC’s lone
BCS bid and will take part in
the first SEC versus Big East
game this season. The
Mountaineers are led by
quarterback Pat White, who
commanded a dominating
offensive performance against
rival Pittsburgh last week. The
debate over the weaker Big East
could be resolved in either
direction from this
confrontation.
The juries that compare
conferences will make many
judgments upon the
conclusion of these bowl
games. Whether USC fans are
pleased with the bowl game’s
outcome, they can remember
one thing: At least Tennessee
isn’t there.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu
SHOOTOUT • COflTinUGD PBOITl 9
Balkman earned player of
the game honors for his 14
point, 12-rebound, four
block, three-steal
performance. Wallace (7
points, four rebounds, and
seven blocks) and Kinsey (14
points, four rebounds) also
contributed heavily in USC’s
win.
The second game against
Monmouth proved to be even
more difficult for the
Carolina squad. The Hawks
were without their leading
scorer, Tyler Azzarelli, but
hardly anyone seemed to
notice. Monmouth took the
lead early, and at halftime, the
Gamecocks trailed 33-20.
In the second half, MU
extended their lead to 15
points, however, a 13-0 USC
run quickly tightened up the
game. Dejan Delic (17 points,
four rebounds) and Whitney
Coleman (10 points) lead the
way for the H4wks, but their
efforts fell short. Carolina
stepped up the defensive
intensity in the final minutes
to come out on top, 62-56.
Kinsey scored 22 points
and was named player of the
game. Wallace chipped in 10
points and 14 rebounds, and
Balkman added 14 points and
six rebounds.
The Gamecocks return to
the hardwood Wednesday
against UNC-Greensboro at
the Colonial Center at 7:30
p.m.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu
BROOm • COflTinUCD PROB19
If I’m at the GMP and I
discover that my Chick-fil-A
sandwich with no pickles
actually doesn’t have pickles
for a change, I’m getting it
cranked up.
If I find a meter on campus
that already has time on it, or,
in some cases, if I find a meter
at all, I’m getting it cranked up.
If I go one day without
hearing a conversation
involving any activity
occurring on fratty.net, I’m
getting it cranked up.
If my Bi-Lo
BONUSCARD gets me a
nice deal on Totino’s pizzas,
I’m getting it cranked up.
If I park at Bates West to go
to the Blatt, and a small
miracle occurs and a bird
doesn’t crap on the hood of
my car, by God, I’m getting it
cranked up.
But I can’t do it alone. If we
want to get this thing back to
how it should be, everybody is
going to have to take part. So
do it for me, do it for yourself
and do it for Carolina’s
basketball team. Let’s get it
cranked up again. (Now just
imagine me holding my hands
above my head, and slightly
moving my balled hands up
and down at the wrists.)
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu