It’s a banner year for South Carolina. The women not only won the DII Carolinas conference after a 17-14 victory over the College of Charleston, but they are heading to the DII national championship to make some program history. It’s been a just payoff for the student leadership, as well as new coach Katie Wurst.

“Captains Brittany Buckstad and Callie Woods, and president Anna Derian have made a lot of effort this year to elevate the team,” said USA Rugby staple Wurst, who relocated to Charlotte, N.C., last summer and commutes to Columbia. “USC has a high-profile, good collegiate men’s team, and we wanted to match that. And any time a college team has a qualified, certified coach, everything steps up a little bit.”

Staffers Claire Cox, Malika Wadley and Wurst (who also plays for DI Charlotte) have managed the team’s evolution over the fall and spring. Saturday’s game at the Rugby Athletic Center (Charlotte, N.C.) marked the rubber match: In the fall, USC beat College of Charleston 20-10; on March 21, Charleston won 22-10.

“It was just a question of momentum,” Wurst said of the difference-maker. “In the fall, we had a slight edge in terms of intensity and aggression. The second match in Charleston, they were more aggressive at the breakdown, so we saw how that had an impact in the game. That’s what we focused on at practice. We knew they were going to pick-and-go and charge forward, so we worked on our fringe defense and launching off the line. That made a big difference. We picked it up and shored up our defense.”

But that preparation didn’t’ translate into domination. The teams traded tries, but USC had an important edge.

“It was tough to even put phases together, because it was back-and-forth all game,” Wurst said. “Both teams did really well in transition, and it was incredibly evenly matched. We were able to capitalize through a couple of young freshmen who are really athletic – like Lauren Page in the centers. Charleston knew our backline was really strong and we have speed out wide, so they just hammered our centers. Page showed a lot of patience, trying to work with it – which says a lot about a freshman. That was how our last try was scored – Lauren passed it out to Anna [Coats] and she scored in the corner. It was great to see those athletes step up.”

Sophomore Buckstad had a big game, too. The captain has surged this season and displayed her range when she moved from No. 8 to flyhalf, following the original 10’s collar bone injury. Scrumhalf Woods and Catherine Price accounted for the other tries, and did well to turn the team’s possession into points.

As nationals rookies, USC doesn’t know what lies ahead, but this year has been about widening horizons. The team has been diversifying its non-matrix competition, seeking out events like the Atlanta Festival 7s, and even considering 7s more seriously.

“Our goal has always been to elevate the program and enjoy the experience of getting to that level,” Wurst said. “They’re becoming students of the game.”

The education continues in two weekends, when USC will – presumably – head to Furman University for the Round of 16. Teams are finding out their fate over the next couple of days, and the College of Charleston just received word that it will take an at-large bid to nationals, too, and compete in Pittsburgh.