Tiger Volleyball Seventh In ACC Pre-Season Poll

June 25, 2001

Greensboro, NC – The Clemson women’s volleyball team was predicted to finish seventh for the upcoming 2001 ACC volleyball season, as determined by a vote of the league’s nine head coaches in the poll released today.

The Tigers received 31 votes while Georgia Tech was selected as the pre-season favorite with 80 of 81 possible points. North Carolina, which won the ACC Championship in 2000, was predicted to finish second with 67 points, and Duke was third in the poll with 54 points. Florida State and Wake Forest are tied for fourth with 51 points, Virginia is sixth (37 points) and the Tigers are seventh. Maryland and NC State round out the poll with 21 and 13 points, respectively.

“We had a really tough season last year with the loss of the 1999 class, which was one of the most successful in the history of Clemson volleyball,” said head coach Jolene Jordan Hoover. “It was especially challenging because we had to rely on youth coupled with the injuries to Jodi and Jessi throughout the season. The pre-season poll is based on last year’s finish. We are looking forward to this season, and we know we are going to have a better year in 2001.”

Clemson returns five of six starters from the 2000 squad that posted a 13-18 overall record and a 6-10 mark in ACC play. The 2001 Tigers will be led by All-ACC candidates Jodi Steffes and Jessi Betcher. Steffes, a senior right side hitter from Elwood, IL, is a three-time All-ACC and All-Region selection, and was the 1998 Rookie of the Year. Betcher, a junior setter from Boulder, CO, was the 1999 ACC Rookie of the Year and the Region Freshman of the Year, earning all-conference and all-region honors.

The Tigers open the 2001 season at the University of Colorado’s Powerbar Tournament. Clemson will face Colorado, Loyola Marymount and Oral Roberts Aug. 31 – Sept. 2 in Boulder.