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Spartans Been Working For The Weekend
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Following a week off from competition, USC Upstate volleyball will travel to its third tournament in as many weekends as the Spartans make their way to the campus of Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C. for the Myrtle Beach Comfort Suites Invitational.
Friday at 4 p.m. the Upstate Spartans will take on the Norfolk State Spartans to start off the weekend. Saturday, Upstate will play in a pair of contests, taking on The Citadel at 10 a.m. and host Coastal Carolina at 6 p.m.
It looks as though the Spartans will have the upper hand against its competition this weekend as Upstate leads all three tournament opponents collectively, 19-1.
Tournament page can be found HERE
SCOUTING THE NORFOLK STATE SPARTANS
2-for-2 with Rookie Honors
Knafel earned the MEAC Rookie of the Week honor on Monday after her effort last week, which also included a 12-kill, 16-dig, 8-service ace effort in a 3-2 win over Hampton Aug. 31. She followed in the footsteps of Eagles, who took home the season’s first Rookie of the Week award last week.
Sitting Atop the Conference
Of the seven major categories – hitting percentage, kills, assists, service aces, blocks, digs, points – an NSU player sits in the top three in four of those categories.
Kessner is tops in assists at 8.83, and Knafel stands all alone in service aces at 0.52 per set, with the second-place holder averaging 0.39.
In addition, Eagles ranks second in digs at 4.48, and Knafel ranks third in points per set (3.60) and seventh in digs (3.32). Redshirt sophomore Paige Gary-Canty sits 10th in points per set (2.75).
As a team, NSU sits atop the conference rankings in assists (10.26 per set) and opponent hitting percentage (.178), as well as second in kills (11.32), service aces (1.45) and digs (14.06).
Nearing a Milestone
Kessner is just three assists away from reaching 1,500 for her career and 17 from tying Dianne Harris for second-most at NSU. She also needs 11 more digs to reach the school’s top-10 list.
That Milestone Will Have to Wait a Day
Kessner will sit out Friday’s match after taking a week off to rest her shoulder but is expected to see action in both of Saturday’s matches.
SCOUTING THE CITADEL BULLDOGS
Bulldogs Find First “W”
On Wednesday evening, Amanda Beal finished with nine kills to help lead The Citadel Volleyball team to a 25-7, 25-7, 25-15 victory over Savannah State at McAlister Field House. The Bulldogs, who had nine players finish with at least one kill, controlled the front with a .470 hitting percentage. With the victory, the Cadets have won each of the last 14 games against the Tigers, dating back to 2002 season.
The trio of Shannon Frain, Blaine McAllister and Cassie Uribe finished with seven kills apiece, as the Cadets totaled 46 kills as a unit. As for the Citadel defense, Emily Dalton tallied nine digs joined closely by Jessica Maas’ seven digs. Erin Bucherl dished out a match-high 17 assists, while teammate Meredith Mutispaugh added 16 assists. The victory is The Citadel’s first of the season, moving them to 1-7 overall.
SCOUTING THE COASTAL CAROLINA CHANTICLEERS
Chants Look To Defend Big South Title
The Chanticleers are coming off a championship season, capturing the 2009 Big South Tournament title which sent them off to Nebraska for the NCAA Tournament. It was the third time Coastal has made an appearance in the tournament and first for 12th year head coach Kristen Bauer.
Coastal returns four starters, including 2009 Big South Tournament MVP and 2010 Big South Preseason Player of the Year Chelsy Kimes, as well as Big South Freshman of the Year Sierra Livesay and Second Team All-Big South honoree Megan Bickford. Five newcomers have joined the 2010 Big South preseason favorite squad and look to make an immediate impact to the team.
UPSTATE NOTES
Mad About Mindy
Mindy Quimby, an Upstate sophomore and Colorado native, earned a slot on the Appalachian Invitational All-Tournament team following her standout performance at the tournament (September 3-4).
The 5-10 sophomore outside hitter, originally from Keenesburg, Colo., finished out the tournament with an impressive 33 kills in 11 sets over 101 total attacks (.198). Quimby also recorded a pair of assists and a service ace over the course of the tournament. Defensively, the sophomore found 15 digs over the weekend (1.36) and a pair of block assists.
Double Trouble
Emily Sanders has posted a double-double on assists and digs in every contest the Spartans have entered. Additionally, Cori Harris has found a pair of double-doubles and Mindy Quimby has a single.
ASun Rankings
Upstate (Team)
3rd in hitting percentage (.186)
2nd in assists - 292 over 25 sets (11.68)
2nd in kills - 310 over 25 sets (12.40)
1st in digs - 426 over 25 sets (17.04)
8th in hitting percentage with 56 kills in 131 attacks (.282)
Cori Harris
8th in kills with 72 over 25 sets (2.88)
3rd in service aces with 9 over 25 sets (0.36)
6th in points with 88.5 over 25 sets (3.54)
7th in digs with 98 over 25 sets (3.92)
Mindy Quimby
7th in service aces with 8 over 25 sets (0.32)
Emily Sanders
2nd in assists with 269 over 25 sets (10.76)
8th in digs with 92 over 25 sets (3.68)
Sander’s Tournament
USC Upstate sophomore and Illinois native, Emily Sanders earned a slot on the Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational (Peoria, Ill.) All-Tournament team following her standout performance in the Midwest.
The 5-6 setter, originally from Sullivan, Ill., finished out the tournament after playing 14 sets in three contests over two days. Sanders notched seven kills on 36 attacks (.139) and found 161 assists for an 11.5 assist-to-set percentage. The sophomore also picked up 50 digs for a 1.93 dig-to-set percentage and recorded one solo block and one assisted block for a pair total.
A Triple Double-Double
For the second time in the Division I-era, Upstate had three players notch double-doubles in a five set loss to Bradley on Aug. 28. Newcomer Cori Harris found the floor on 13 kills and found 10 digs, Emily Sanders put up 51 helpers and notched 19 digs and Mindy Quimby registered 14 kills and 10 digs.
Later in the evening, on Aug. 28, the Spartans would find double-double performances again from Harris and Sanders who put 24 kills/14 digs and 57 assists/17 digs, respectfully, before another tough five set loss.
Upstate’s performance against Bradley and Western Illinois marked the 14th and 15th time, respectfully, that the Spartans had posted at least two double-doubles in the Division I-era, having accomplished the feat five times each in 2007 and 2008 and three times in 2009.
Spartans Selected 10th
USC Upstate has been selected to finish 10th in the A-Sun preseason coaches poll. Coming off its 2009 season with a program best 28-4 record, Lipscomb was selected as the preseason favorite to claim both the regular season and tournament championship. The Lady Bisons, who picked up 10 out of 11 first place votes for the regular season title, also nabbed 10 votes for the tournament champion’s ballot.
Lipscomb also had the most representation on the all-conference team with three preseason selections (OH Meghan Hinemeyer, MB Alex Kelly, and Stefine “Jake” Pease, a setter who was also named Player of the Year in the poll).
Coming in second on the coaches poll was FGCU with 103 points and third went to Belmont with 97.
Road Warriors
Spartan volleyball will not take the floor in the G.B. Hodge Center this season due to renovations happening in the Arena; which means that the 2010 season will take place “on the road” in every contest. Matches that are considered “home events” for Upstate will be held in Spartanburg at various locations, listed below.
| Sept. 16 | vs. Stetson | @ Wofford | 7:00 p.m. |
| Sept. 29 | vs. Campbell | @ Converse | 7:00 p.m. |
| Oct. 8 | vs. Belmont | @ Wofford | 7:00 p.m. |
| Oct. 9 | vs. Lipscomb | @ Converse | 3:00 p.m. |
| Oct. 20 | vs. N.C. Central | @ Converse | 6:00 p.m. |
| Oct. 29 | vs. Florida Gulf Coast | @ SCA | 7:00 p.m. |
| Oct. 30 | vs. Bethune-Cookman | @ SCA | 6:00 p.m |
Mrs. Dodie Anderson, a 1981 graduate of USC Upstate with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, announced on Wednesday October 14, 2009 that she would be providing the University with a $4 million gift to fund the project of renovating the Hodge Center.
Anderson was presented the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006 on the 25th anniversary of her graduation from USC Upstate. She is the former owner of Anderson Hardwood Floors in Clinton and Walterboro, S.C. the largest privately owned hardwood floor manufacturer in the United States. A co-owner, she recently sold her stake in the company to pursue other business interests. She received the University’s Founders Day Award in 1986, was inducted into the University’s Honor Fraternity in May 2005, and is a former member of the Carolina Piedmont Foundation Board of Directors, which is the fundraising arm of USC Upstate.
The renovation of the Hodge Center will focus mainly on the competition court and some auxiliary functions of the athletics department. The gymnasium will be completely gutted with several improvements scheduled to be made. In addition to the installation of a new floor, the facility will also receive new seating, lighting and state of the art scoreboards and scorer’s tables.
Outside of the gym area, the women’s basketball and volleyball programs will get their own locker room facilities after sharing a locker room for the better part of two decades. The athletic training facility will be expanded, while the performance center will open in the site of the old gym and will house the strength and conditioning program for the Spartan athletic teams.
“The volleyball program is deeply grateful to Mrs. Anderson for this most recent demonstration of her ongoing commitment to Upstate, a gift that will significantly upgrade our volleyball facilities,” said Jennifer Calloway, head coach of the volleyball program and a 1994 graduate of USC Upstate.
Newcomers
Amanda Carroll, a 5-8 setter from Lake In The Hills, Ill., was a three-year starter at Huntley High School and a two-time Daily-Herald All-Area selection. She helped the Red Raiders post a 29-10 record as a senior, finishing the regular season with 585 assists, 63 kills, 39 aces and 140 digs. She also earned second team all-area honors from the Northwest Herald. As a junior, Carroll helped Huntley to the Class 4A sectional finals, posting 642 assists, 51 aces, 114 digs, 19 solo blocks and a .391 hitting percentage. Carroll has also been involved with the prestigious Sky High Volleyball Club since she turned 13.
Cori Harris, a 5-10 outside hitter from Champaign, Ill., is a dynamic personality that helped Centennial High School to 101 wins in her three years on the squad and she also helped the team to two Elite Eight berths. As a senior, she was the team leader in kills (258) and aces (school-record 99) and ranked second in digs (159), helping her earn News-Gazette Area Player of the Year, All-Area First Team and first team all-state accolades. As a junior, the left-handed hitter earned News-Gazette All-Area after posting 212 kills and 56 blocks to help lead the Chargers to the super-sectionals and a school-record 34 wins. A two-time All-Big 12 Conference First Team selection, she finished her career with 659 career kills, the third most in school history. In February, she was also named to the News-Gazette’s Area Prep Volleyball All-Decade Team.
Morgan Page, a 5-6 defensive specialist from Woodstock, Ga., earned four letters at Sequoyah High School, leading the school to its 15th Cherokee County Championship in the last 19 years in 2009. She also led the team to an Area 7-AAAA title and earned all-area honors in the process, helping the Chiefs to a final ranking of fifth in the state. Also involved in club volleyball, Page played with the A5 Pure Volleyball club program.
Allison Frodl, a 5-11 right side hitter from Simpsonville, S.C., was a letterwinner at Hillcrest High School under coach Lynn Avant. As a senior she was recognized as being a Top-40 Senior by her peers.
