Sep 18, 2024

GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Volleyball Hosts “New” Jervey Gym Home Opener, Travels to Greenville

Clemson (6-2) Opens Home Slate, Travels to Greenville

Clemson: Roster | Schedule | Match Notes (PDF) | Jervey Gym Fan Info

PREVIEW

The Clemson Tigers (6-2) are slated to play their first home matches of the season after sweeping the Black & Gold Invitational.
Clemson will first play against the Kennesaw State Owls (3-6) on Thursday, September 19 at 7 P.M. for the fifth time in program history. The Tigers beat the Owls last time out, 3-1, in 2021 and the last time the two faced off in Jervey Gym, 3-1, in 2019.
Clemson and South Carolina (8-2) continue the annual Palmetto Series presented by the South Carolina Education Lottery on Friday, September 20 at 6 P.M. for the 48th time in the matchup’s history. The Tigers last won against the Gamecocks in 2022 during a five-set thriller (25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-8). During Friday’s match a cohort of alumni will be honored between the second and third set.
After the two-match homestand, the Tigers will travel to Greenville, S.C. to battle the Furman Paladins (4-4) in Alley Gym. Clemson has been historically dominant against Furman with a 37-5 all-time record against the Paladins, with Clemson’s last win coming in four sets during the 2013 season.
The matches against Kennesaw State and South Carolina will be shown on ACCNX while the match against Furman will be shown on ESPN+.

WELCOMING “NEW” JERVEY GYM

Following the conclusion of the 2023 home slate, Clemson began upgrades to Jervey Gym that included re-allocating more than 14,000 square feet of space and raising the roof of Jervey Gym by 15 feet.
Admission to all home matches inside Jervey Gym is free and open to the public. Fans can learn more about parking, entrance and more can be found here.
The Volleyball Suite directly off the gym will be complete with a team meeting room, lounge, locker room, and student-athlete amenities.
The match day fan experience has also been upgraded to include new lighting, bleachers and sound system. There will also be a brand-new video board and a premier ACEs Club Lounge (slated to open in 2025).
Jervey Gym upgrades is in partnership with the Performance and Wellness Center (P.A.W.) that will include the strength and conditioning center, as well as the wellness and recovery space that will house athletic training and the Bistro for dining.

ALUMNI WEEKEND

Clemson is excited to welcome back the Tiger Volleyball alumni to Jervey Gym.
Former Tiger Head Coach Jolene Hoover will kick things off in Jervey with the ceremonial first serve before the Kennesaw State match on Thursday.
Alumni weekend continues through Friday, September 20 during the South Carolina match with former Clemson Tiger and current Atlanta Vibe professional player Karis Watson will provide the ceremonial first serve against the Gamecocks.
Fans are encouraged to stay in their seats between sets two and three on Friday as the complete cohort of alumni will be recognized on court.

BLACK & GOLD INVITATIONAL RECAP

The Tigers swept the competition, defeating App State, 3-0, Wofford, 3-2, and Winthrop, 3-1.
ACC Freshman of the Week Neea-Maria Joki and Mia McGrath were each named to the All-Tournament Team. Joki finished the tournament with 39 kills, 12 blocks, and 53.5 points while McGrath notched 45 kills, 54 points, and tallied 3.75 kills per set.
Senior libero Devan Taylor also had a strong weekend performance; the Texan recorded four aces and 66 digs over the three-game tournament.

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Taylor continues to move closer to 1500 career digs and is 32 digs away from surpassing Natalie Patzin (2009-12, 1460) the fourth-most digs all-time as a Tiger. Her 145 digs rank as second-most in the ACC and her 4.68 digs per set is the highest mark in the ACC.
Three Tigers set new career-highs vs. Wofford. Sophomore Audrey Armbruster recorded 51 assists, 13 higher than her previous high, McGrath notched 23 kills, eight higher than the previous, and Taylor collected 34 digs against the Terriers.
Joki continues to dominate the service game with a team-high 15 aces, the mark is good for the highest by any freshman in the ACC and the sixth-highest total in the ACC.
McGrath remains to be an offensive force for the Tigers with the junior having a team-high in total kills, points, and kills per set, with her kills per set being in the top-20 highest marks in the ACC.

For complete coverage of the Clemson volleyball team, follow @ClemsonVB on X and Instagram, and @ClemsonVolleyball on Facebook.