2009 South Carolina Gamecocks Volleyball

Looking for current South Carolina Gamecocks Volleyball info? Check out our 2010 South Carolina Gamecocks Volleyball page.

The Lady Gamecocks of South Carolina find themselves a good, up and coming program with the unfortunate luck of being locked into a division that may in fact be unwinnable given the strength up at the top. However, when all is said and done, the program IS developing, and progress like this can only be considered a positive sign for the program.

2008 in Review: 2008 was a good season generally speaking. The team managed an excellent overall record of 21-9, which was good enough for 4th place in the tough SEC East Division. The team also managed a solid 12-8 record within the SEC, and was extremely dangerous at home, scoring a 12-3 record within its friendly confines. However, the team struggled on the road, only managing a 5-6 record overall. Consistency on the road is something that is essential to work on in order for this team to climb to the next level.

What to Look for in 2009: It is going to be important to see how the Lady Gamecocks are able to handle to loss of their departing seniors. The trio of players leaving the Lady Gamecocks as the team enters the 2009 season possesses a tremendous amount of talent. Belita Salters, in particular, is going to be one of the toughest players to replace. Salters was considered by many to be among the finest players in the Southeastern Conference. Petra Lorenzi and Dinelia Concepcion both will also be missed as both were key cogs to the defense.

From the attack perspective, the Lady Gamecocks should be in good shape, despite the loss of Salters. Salters was key, but the team still will return 4 of its top 5 players in regards to kills per game. It is going to be essential for these players to each step up. Ivana Kujundzic (3.61 kills per game) and Megan Laughlin (2.59) are the two players most likely to carry the load, although, for the team to truly pick up the slack, one of Annie Thomas (1.66 kills per game) or Meredith Moorhead (1.61 kills per game) need to step up.

One area in which it is essential that other players are able to step up and compensate for the loss of Salters is up front on defense. South Carolina was already not strong on blocking, and with the loss of Salters, the leading blocker from 2008 is Megan Laughlin at 0.58 blocks per game. Laughlin, as well as Tory Anderson and Ivana Kujundzic (both 0.45 blocks per game) will need to step up to fill the void.

The Lady Gamecocks do not have a similar problem when it comes to digs. The teams 3 leading performers in this area are all returning. Sarah Cline (3.84 digs per game), Ivana Kujundzic (2.82 digs per game) and Hanna Lawing (2.36 digs per game) should keep this area more than accounted for.

2009 Predictions: Overall, the Lady Gamecocks should be competitive once again, and if the team's key losses can be accounted for, may compete with the Lady Vols for 3rd place in the SEC East.

South Carolina Gamecocks Volleyball
South Carolina Gamecocks Volleyball

You can read more about last year's South Carolina Gamecocks Volleyball at 2008 South Carolina Gamecocks Volleyball Team.

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2009 South Carolina Gamecocks Volleyball