A 20-win season and the first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 was quite the debut for USC head volleyball coach Tom Mendoza.
The Gamecocks have been in preseason camp for about a week as tney are gearing up for their season opener which is August 30 against Cincinnati in the Panther Classic hosted by the University of Pittsburgh. The home opener is Tuesday September 30 against Charlotte.
All six starters return from last year's team including senior Mikayla Shields who is the first player in the program's 46-year history to be earn national post-season honors twice in a career. For the past two seasons, Shields has been named Honorable Mention All-America by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)
Another senior is River Bluff product and former News19 Player of the Week Claire Edwards.She had her best year yet as a junior with personal bests in kills (184) and blocks (78).