CHARLESTON, S.C. – College of Charleston (3-0) volleyball will make its 2013 home debut on Tuesday, Sept. 3 against Charleston Southern (0-3) at 7 p.m.
The match promises to feature plenty of joy and celebration as the Cougars unveil their 2012 SoCon Championship and NCAA Tournament banners. Charleston has won either the league regular season or tournament title for the past 12 consecutive seasons.
CofC is coming off a big weekend of play, winning the Georgia Tech Invitational on Sunday with a 3-0 sweep of the host Yellow Jackets of the ACC. The win marked Charleston's first program sweep over an ACC squad and just the fifth-ever win on an ACC team's home court. The Cougars also defeated Chattanooga and Florida A&M on Friday to secure just the second 3-0 season start under current head coach Jason Kepner.
Junior Sloane White was named the Tournament MVP after tallying 30 kills in three matches for a .291 hitting percentage. Darcy Dorton led the way against GT with 11 kills and earned All-Tournament team honors, while new transfer Cara Howley also garnered a spot on the All-Tournament team.
As a team, the Cougars averaged 13.4 kills per set and a .262 hitting percentage. Charleston's defense has played well with a 14.5 dig/set mark and 2.5 blocks per set. The Cougars also served effectively, averaging 1.27 aces per set, well ahead of last season's average of 0.90 aces per set.
Follow Live
Tuesday's match will be available for viewing for FREE on the College of Charleston's UStream page. Fans can access the broadcast on their phones and tablets through UStream's mobile application, or through the front-page embed screen on CofCSports.com. Live stats will be posted on CofCSports.com, while the volleyball twitter account (@CofCVolleyball) will always be posting intermittent updates.
Scouting the Opposition
Charleston Southern comes into TD Arena after an 0-3 start to the season. The Buccaneers competed in a tournament at Davidson, getting swept by CSU Bakersfield, Charlotte and Davidson. Katrina Houston leads the team with 3.22 kills per set, while Meredith Parrott is averaging 0.89 blocks per set. CSU is hitting .127 as a team and averaging 13.44 digs per set.
College of Charleston holds the all-time edge, 23-5, over Charleston Southern in volleyball. The Cougars won a 3-1 match last season up the road at the Buc Dome. The last time that CofC lost to the Buccaneers was in the 2000 season.
Sights And Sounds
Alongside the banner unveiling before the match, Cougar fans will get to play volleyball along with the players this season from their own comfortable seats. CofC marketing staffers will be on hand to show fans how to play Volleyball Bingo on their phones when different actions in the match take place. The first fans to successfully make a Bingo will receive prizes. The first 50 students to the match will receive a free t-shirt.
The Faculty and Staff of College of Charleston are invited to attend a pre-match social gathering in the McAlister Hospitality Suite, beginning at 5:30, sponsored by the Cougar Club. Complimentary food and beverages will be available, and head coach Jason Kepner will speak briefly to the group at 6:15.
Home Sweet Home
Charleston is 4-2 in home openers during Kepner's tenure with the College defeating Sacramento State to open the 2012 season. In the past seven seasons, CofC has posted a 98-15 record while playing at home.
In The Spotlight
Charleston fans will be very familiar with the names announced during Tuesday night's home-opening match. All but one starter return from last year's championship squad. However, new transfer Cara Howley will catch the eye early on. Coming from South Carolina, Howley earned All-Tournament team honors at Georgia Tech after tallying 25 kills and hitting .340. She plays on the right side along with White for a fierce one-two punch.
