Sep 05, 2024

MATCH DAY CENTRAL: Volleyball at Georgia Southern

Clemson (2-1, 0-0 ACC) at GATA Challenge

Clemson: Roster | Schedule | Match Notes (PDF)

PREVIEW

Coming off winning the Western Michigan Tournament, the Clemson Tigers (2-1) head to Statesboro, Ga. for the GATA Challenge.
The Tigers enter the GATA Challenge with wins over Loyola Chicago, 3-0, and Western Michigan, 3-1.
Clemson will face off against Maryland Eastern Shore on Friday, September 6 at 2:00 P.M. and host team Georgia Southern on Saturday, September 7 at 4:00 P.M. The match against Georgia Southern will be broadcast on ESPN+.
This weekend will mark the first time the Tigers will play Maryland Eastern Shore.
This will be the fifth time that Clemson will play Georgia Southern where the Tigers hold a 4-0 all-time record with the last meeting coming in 2017 where Clemson won 3-0.

WESTERN MICHIGAN TOURNAMENT RECAP

Clemson started off the 2024 season with a 3-0 sweep over the Loyola Chicago Ramblers Friday afternoon.
The Tigers won the tournament after ending Western Michigan’s 19-game home winning streak that dated back to the 2022 season.
Junior Mia McGrath won the tournament MVP while posting 33 digs, 32 kills and 41 points.
Seniors Azyah Dailey (five blocks, 35 kills, 39 points) and Devan Taylor (14 assists, 53 digs, 4.82 digs per set) each made the all-tournament team.

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Devan Taylor supplanted herself further in the record book for the Tigers, surpassing Denise Murphy and Jodi Steffes for the fifth most digs in Clemson history with 1,337. Her 53 digs and 4.82 digs per set on the weekend each rank as third-most in the ACC.
Azyah Dailey had the 400th kill of her career during the tournament while also posting a career-high in kills in a single game with 19 against Western Michigan. The senior leads the team in kills (35) and kills per set (3.18)
Mia McGrath also registered the 400th kill of her career during weekend play as well as her 500th point as a Tiger. The tournament MVP additionally recorded a career-high in digs with 20, leads the team in points at 41 and is second on the team with 32 kills.
In her first weekend in action, Katherine Sandt recorded two doubles-doubles in consecutive games and had 91 assists, the fourth-most in the ACC.
Transfer Kate Hansen put up the 100th block in her career during the weekend and leads the team in blocks with 10.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

Neea-Maria Joki and Claire Luoma each made their Clemson debuts during the Western Michigan Tournament.
Joki has started all three games for the Tigers and leads the team in kills (11) during her collegiate debut while also recording an ace and a block. She is third on the team in kills (27) and points (31).
Luoma has a team-high in aces (five) with four of them coming in her debut against Loyola Chicago.

JERVEY GYM UPGRADES

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.
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).
The first official match will be on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. against Kennesaw State.
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.

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