ATLANTA, Ga. – Senior pin attacker Azyah Dailey finished with a career-high 30 kills to tie for ninth-most kills in a single match in program history, but the Clemson Tigers ultimately dropped a five-set match (26-24, 29-27, 21-25, 16-25, 17-19) to No. 17 Georgia Tech on Wednesday evening. Following the loss, Clemson drops to 8-10 (0-7 ACC), while Georgia Tech improves to 12-4 (4-3 ACC).
Clemson’s opening set victory marked the first set win against the Yellow Jackets inside O’Keefe Gymnasium since 2020. The Tigers went on to win set two, marking the first time since Oct. 3, 2018 that Clemson has taken two sets in a single match from Georgia Tech either in Atlanta or Clemson. The five-set match in 2018 was also played inside O’Keefe Gymnasium.
Dailey finished the night with 31 points after adding a solo block to her kill count. She was followed by junior Mia McGrath who had 20 points with 18 kills and two solo blocks. McGrath added 12 digs for her fifth double-double on the year. Junior Mia Moore also notched a career-night with 11 points off nine kills, one ace and two blocks. Katherine Sandt added a double-double with a career-high 63 assists and 12 digs. Senior Devan Taylor and freshman Addi Rains added double-digit digs with 25 and 10, respectively. Middle hitters Indigo Young (nine kills, one solo block) and Kate Hansen (six kills, two solo blocks, two assisted) provided additional support on both offense and defense for the Tigers.
Clemson came out strong racking up 15 kills and three solo blocks in the opening set, including a solo block from Sandt to secure the set win. Hansen and Young helped spur the production with six combined kills and a solo block each. With Georgia Tech’s defense having to worry about the middles, McGrath and Dailey were able to find the court on the outside to pick up six and four kills, respectively. After falling behind 16-12, the Tigers responded to take the opening set, 26-24.
The Tigers didn’t slow down as Dailey led Clemson with eight kills in the second set. Hansen, Young and McGrath continued to push forward, while the Tigers saw production from Moore, who tabbed five kills and the first ace of the evening for either program. Clemson was able to extend its advantage to four points that had McGrath tabbing a solo block, but Georgia Tech battled back and tied things at 23-all. The two teams traded points for the remainder of the set until Sandt was able to come through once again for set point with an ace and lead Clemson to a 29-27 set win.
McGrath, Dailey and Young did their best to keep the Tigers even with the Yellow Jackets in the third set, including McGrath notching four kills and a solo block in Clemson’s first 10 points of the set. The Yellow Jackets built momentum and went on an eight-point run to create a spread Clemson wasn’t able to make up, despite Moore recording three kills in a four-point span. GT took set three, 25-21.
Dailey continued to dominate for the Tigers surpassing her previous kill record of 19 set against Western Michigan earlier this season. Moore, McGrath, Dailey and Hansen did their best to break up scoring runs by the Yellow Jackets, but Georgia Tech took control of the fourth set going on four different runs of three or more points. GT forced a fifth set, taking set four, 25-16.
The momentum stayed with the Yellow Jackets to open the fifth set, as Georgia Tech had a 4-1 advantage. Clemson responded with kills from Dailey, McGrath and Young to close the gap. Dailey evened the set at 12-all and again at 13-all with two kills. Both programs traded match-points advantage until GT sealed the final two points off a kill and ace to take the set, 19-17, and the match.
Up Next
The Tigers return to their home court in Jervey Gym on Friday, Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. to complete the home-and-home series against No. 17 Georgia Tech. Friday’s match will serve as Clemson’s ‘Professor and Staff Appreciation’ match, where faculty and staff of Clemson are encouraged to join the Tigers in the gym.
