ROCK HILL, S.C. – Winthrop Volleyball is set to begin their season this weekend as they travel to Columbia for the Carolina Classic.

Game Information -
Opponent/Date/Time/Location	vs. Omaha | Friday, Aug. 26 | 12 p.m. | Columbia, S.C. (Carolina Volleyball Center) vs. Sacred Heart | Friday, Aug. 26 | 5 p.m. | Columbia, S.C. (Carolina Volleyball Center) vs. South Carolina | Saturday, Aug. 27 | 4:30 p.m. | Columbia, S.C (Carolina Volleyball Center)
Live Stats	Omaha | Sacred Heart | South Carolina
Live Stream	South Carolina
Series History	First meeting First meeting South Carolina leads 27-22
Last Meeting	Sept. 16, 2021 vs. South Carolina (L, 3-0)
Social Media	Twitter - @WinthropVolley / @WUEagles | Instagram - winthropvolleyball | #ROCKtheHILL | #EverStand

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS OMAHA
This is the first meeting between the programs. The Mavericks went 20-10 (16-2 Summit League) in 2021. SERIES HISTORY VERSUS SACRED HEART
Winthrop and Sacred Heart meet for the first time this weekend. The Pioneers were 19-10 (11-3 Northeast Conference) and made the NCAA Tournament last season. SERIES HISTORY VERSUS SOUTH CAROLINA
The teams meet for the 50^th time. Last season, the Gamecocks defeated Winthrop 3-0 inside the Winthrop Coliseum. GEARHART GETS GOING
Heather Gearhart was promoted to interim head volleyball coach in July after previous head coach Chuck Rey became the full-time athletic director. Gearhart served as the assistant coach for the Eagles in 2021, helping Winthrop to 18 wins and an appearance in the conference tournament semifinals.
 
After playing collegiately at North Carolina from 2012-15 and making four NCAA Tournament appearances, she played professionally overseas before embarking on her collegiate coaching career. Gearhart worked at Tennessee during the 2018 season and moved to Akron in 2019, and both programs saw good success. The Vols reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament and the Zips qualified for the MAC tournament for the first time in seven years.
 
This will be the Eagles 1,750^th, 1,751^st, and 1,752^nd matches all-time as they hold a program record of 1,044-705. BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL
Winthrop was voted to finish third in the Big South Conference preseason poll. High Point is the preseason favorite with 81 points (nine first-place votes) while Campbell was second with 72 points. The Eagles had 61 points and are followed by USC Upstate (52), Presbyterian (43), Charleston Southern (32), Gardner-Webb and UNC Asheville (23), and Radford (18). FOLLOW US!
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