Volleyball: Chants Set for NCAA First Round Match Against Southern Cal
CONWAY - The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (25-6, 11-3) begin their NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship journey on Friday with a first-round matchup against Pac-12 member Southern California (15-15, 8-12) at 4:30 pm. The match is set to be played in Carmichael Arena, the home of seventh-seeded North Carolina which is hosting the regional first and second rounds. Friday's match can be viewed live on ESPN3.
First Round Coastal Carolina vs. USC | Friday, Dec. 5 - 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Arena: Carmichael Arena (6,822)
Video: ESPN3
Live Stats: GoCCUSports.com
Series Record: First Meeting
Second Round (If Necessary) Coastal Carolina vs. Hampton (21-10) / No. 7 North Carolina (26-2) | Saturday, Dec. 6 - 6 pm
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Arena: Carmichael Arena (6,822)
Video: ESPN3
Live Stats: GoCCUSports.com
The Chanticleers are making their fourth NCAA postseason appearance in program history. Coastal has lost its previous first round matches, falling to Georgia Tech in 1996, Brigham Young in 1998 and No. 7 Nebraska in 2009.
Coastal punched its ticket to the tournament after winning the fourth Big South Championship in the program's 26th year of conference membership. The Chants defeated Radford 3-2 in the Big South title match in just the fourth 5-set match of the season for Coastal, and the first since a victory over North Florida on Sept. 6.
Senior outside hitter Katie Martin was named Big South Tournament MVP after posting double-digit kills in each of her last four matches, including a career-high of 24 in the conference final. Freshman outside hitter Leah Hardeman, the 2014 Big South Player and Freshman of the Year, matched Martin's kill total in the championship game and added 14 digs for her 14th double-double of the season. Senior libero Jenna Orner also posted career numbers in the Big South championship with 31 digs. Fellow senior Sam Skryd provided 52 digs in the match, just one shy of her personal best. Orner and Skryd, along with Martin, were named to the Big South All-Tournament team.
The Chanticleers enter the tournament's field of 64 with a 25-6 overall record, and the third-highest win total in program history behind the 27 wins of the 1996 and 2008 squads. Coastal has won nine of its past 10 matches and 28 of its last 36 sets. The Chants' last loss came in four sets at Winthrop on Oct. 31.
In addition to their recent winning, the Chants lead the nation in opponent hitting percentage (.130) while ranking 27th in digs per set (16.99) and 60th in blocks per set (2.37).
USC is making its 32nd NCAA Championship appearance and 24th in a row. The Trojans have advanced past the first round in each of their last 24 trips. USC is 72-28 all-time in the NCAA tournament and has won six national championships.
The Trojans finished the 2014 season with a .500 record, but faced 14 top-25 opponents, including top-ranked Stanford twice. Furthermore, 30 of USC's regular-season matches featured opponents that are competing in the NCAA tournament.
USC enters the tournament having lost five of its last six matches, with its final win of the regular season coming on Nov. 26 against then-#14 Arizona which earned the No.11 seed in the tournament.
Look for the Trojans to lean on the services of All-American outside hitters Samantha Bricio and Ebony Nwanebu, who average 4.27 and 3.04 kills per set, respectively. On the defensive side, middle blocker Alicia Ogoms leads USC averaging 0.99 blocks per set to complement her 1.61 kills per set and .370 hitting percentage.
If the Chanticleers defeat the Trojans, they advance to the second round to play the winner of Friday's second first-round match between Hampton and No. 7 UNC.
Hampton is making its second trip to the NCAA postseason after posting a near-perfect 11-1 conference record and winning the MEAC title. UNC, meanwhile, is competing in the NCAA tournament for the 16th time in the program's history. The Tar Heels' 26-2 overall record was bolstered by a 17-1 mark in ACC play. The host institution also defeated Wake Forest to be crowned conference champions.
Saturday's second-round match is set for 6 pm at Carmichael Arena, and will be shown live on ESPN3.