The Chanticleers will take on Auburn, Georgia Southern, and Wake Forest.
Sept. 10, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Last Week’s Honors:
Senior Jill Nyhof and junior Megan Bickford were selected to the All-Tournament Team at the Gamecock Invitational hosted by South Carolina. Nyhof finished the tournament with 20 blocks and 14 kills, including an eight-block match in the win against Eastern Kentucky. Bickford finished the weekend with 17 kills, six blocks, and seven service aces. Three of her seven service aces and seven of her 17 kills came in the win over Eastern Kentucky.
This Week’s Matches:
at the Bash in the ‘Boro (Statesboro, Ga.)
-Friday, September 11 vs. Auburn, 5 p.m.
-Saturday, September 12 at Georgia Southern, 12 p.m.
-Saturday, September 12 vs. Wake Forest, 5 p.m.
THE OPPONENTS
Auburn Tigers
2009 Record: 5-2
2009 Conference Record: 0-0 (SEC)
Head Coach: Wade Benson
Series Record: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
Notes: Currently tied for first in the Western Division of the SEC... Voted fourth in the preseason SEC Western poll... On Aug. 31, Katherine Culwell named SEC Freshman of the Week, the team’s first since 2004... The freshman class was voted the 26th-best class by PrepVolleyball.com... Returns eight players, including four starters and libero... Culwell enters her freshman season as the No. 34 recruit according to PrepVolleyball.com... Florida Atlantic transfer junior Morgan Johns led the Owls in kills and service aces as a sophomore.
Georgia Southern Eagles (Tournament Host)
2009 Record: 4-3
2009 Conference Record: 0-0 (SoCon)
Head Coach: Chad Callihan
Series Record: Coastal leads 6-1
Last Meeting: Coastal won 3-0 in 1999
Notes: The Eagles return 10 players, including Bethany Sanford who was a member of the 2008 All-Southern Conference Freshman team... Picked to finish third in the South Division of the SoCon... Recently captured the Holiday Inn Invitational title with a 3-1 win over Troy... Sanford named the Holiday Inn Invitational MVP... Currently 4-3 in 2009 after falling in all three matches at the Colorado State Classic.
Wake Forest Demon Decons
2009 Record: 0-6
2009 Conference Record: 0-0 (ACC)
Head Coach: Heather Kahl Holmes
Series Record: Coastal leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Coastal won 3-1 in 1996
Notes: Predicted to finish ninth in the Atlantic Coast Conference... Kadija Fornah named to the Preseason All-ACC team... Fornah finished second on the team with 264 kills and averaged 2.34 kills per set... Wake Forest return 11 letterwinners and six starters from the 2008 season... Andrea Beck named 2008 Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year in North Carolina... Finished with a 19-13 record last season.
Kimes Doubles Up
Out of last week’s three matches, junior Chelsy Kimes had a pair of double-doubles. She opened the Gamecock Invitational with 14 kills and 10 digs against UNC Greensboro on Fri., Sept. 4. She ended the tournament with 10 kills and 10 digs against Eastern Kentucky on Sat., Sept. 5.
The Great Wall of Nyhof
In six matches, senior Jill Nyhof has totaled 38 total blocks, including 12 solo blocks averaging 1.73 blocks per set. Nyhof had a career high 13 blocks against Dayton at the Mortar Board Premier on Aug. 28 and her block performance this season put her third on Coastal Carolina’s all-time list in total career blocks. She is just 64 blocks shy of becoming second all-time in blocks at Coastal Carolina.
Have We Met Before?
The answer is yes and no. Coastal Carolina has played Georgia Southern and Wake Forest before, but it will be the first meeting between the Chanticleers and the Auburn Tigers. Head coach Kristen Bauer has only seen Georgia Southern once and it was during her first year as head coach at Coastal Carolina where the team won 3-0 in 1999. Both Wake Forest and Auburn will be a first for Bauer since coming to Coastal Carolina.
Familar Faces
Senior Jill Nyhof and Georgia Southern’s Lindsey O’Connor will probably recognize each other on opposite sides of the net. Nyhof played at Northview High School, only 11 minutes away from Chattahoochee High School where O’Connor played.
Mortar Board Premier Honors
Senior Jill Nyhof was named to the Mortar Board Premier All-Tournament Team. She finished the weekend with 24 kills and 18 blocks, including a career-high 13 blocks in the first match against Dayton. Nyhof paced the Chanticleers with 12 kills off 21 total attacks for a .524 hitting percentage to lead Coastal Carolina in its first win of the season over Ball State, 3-1.
A Fresh Start
Freshman Sierra Livesay saw her first action as a Chanticleer on Aug. 28 and helped both offensively and defensively, finishing the night with her first collegiate career double-double of 11 kills and 15 digs. Samantha Palka saw her first collegiate action against South Carolina on Sept. 4, where she contributed two digs.
Familiar Names and Faces
Coastal Carolina returns 11 of 14 players from 2008. The veterans include seniors Meagan Tracey, Megan Pollard, and Jill Nyhof, juniors Megan Bickford, Chelsy Kimes, Amanda Russell, Kristin Cozzens and Becky Stowers and sophomores Erika Lightsey, Kelsie Mauck and Simone Autry.
Welcome, Freshmen!
Two freshmen are on Coastal Carolina’s roster for the 2009 season. New to the team this year are Sierra Livesay and Samantha Palka.
Coastal Second in Preseason Poll
In the Big South Conference Preseason Poll, Coastal Carolina was picked second by the league’s coaches. The Chanticleers collected 67 points in the poll. Liberty claimed the top spot in the poll with 81 points and nine first-place votes.
Kimes Named to Preseason All-Conference
Junior Chelsy Kimes was one of seven players to be selected to the Preseason All-Big South Conference Team. Kimes, known as one of the Big South’s most lethal attackers, ranked number one in both kills and service aces in the Big South.
Jilllllllexcelent!
Hitting the books has paid off for senior Jill Nyhof. The Alpharetta, Ga. native was selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III University Division First Team and named the 2008 Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Nyhof carries a perfect 4.0 grade-point average as a political science major.
It’s A Long Road...
Coastal Carolina will start off the 2009 season playing its first nine matches on the road. The Chants will travel just over 2,400 miles round-trip on the road in its first three weekends. They start at the Mortar Board Premier in West Lafayette, Ind., and then head to Columbia, S.C. for the Gamecock Invitational. The team finishes at the Bash in the ‘Boro tournament in Statesboro, Ga. before returning home on Sept. 18 for the Comfort Suites Invitational.
On the Attack
Junior Chelsy Kimes hit double-digit kills in 27 matches and notched 12 double-doubles last season. Coastal Carolina went 10-2 in 2008 when Kimes had a double-double.
Dishing It Out
Senior Meagan Tracey recorded three 50-plus assist matches in 2008. The setter from Scottsdale, Ariz., ranks second all-time among Coastal Carolina’s set assist per game leaders, averaging 10.13. She also ranks third all-time in set assists with 3,374.
Serving Aces
Chelsy Kimes finished the 2008 season ranked 25th in the NCAA in service aces tallying a career-high 58, which also led the Big South.
Tournament Sweeps
Sweeping a tournament can be a difficult feat, but Coastal Carolina swept the South Carolina State Invitational last season by defeating South Carolina State 3-0, North Carolina Central 3-0, Wofford 3-1 and Hampton 3-0 in Orangeburg, S.C. on Sept. 19-20.
When In September
Under head coach Kristen Bauer, Coastal Carolina is 66-69 in the month of September. In the last two seasons, the Chants have only lost 10 matches in September.
Coming Up Next
The Chanticleers return home for their first home matches of the season as they play in the Myrtle Beach Comfort Suites Invitational on Sept. 18-19. Charlotte, UNC Wilmington, and Western Carolina are all scheduled to play.
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