CLEMSON, S.C. – With the four-set victory (23-25, 25-13, 25-13, 25-18) over the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (6-6), the Clemson Tigers (12-0) have secured a perfect nonconference record. The 12-match win streak to start the season is the sixth time that a Clemson team has done so in program history and the 9-0 home record to start the year is the best since 1999.
Kennedy Wagner led the offensive effort for the Tigers. The junior’s 14 kills led both teams with match-high 15 points as well. Seniors Kate Hansen and Mia Moore both recorded 11 kills and fellow senior Nil Okur secured a season-high 10 kills. McKenna Gildon had a match-high and career-high 26 digs while Katherine Sandt recorded 41 assists and 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season.
In the first set of the evening, the Tigers and the Buccaneers traded points with Charleston Southern grabbing a two-point lead at the media timeout. Clemson would battle back and take a 22-21 lead thanks to an ace from Claire Luoma and kills by Mia Moore and Kate Hansen. A three-point run from Charleston Southern would eventually secure the first set for the Buccaneers, 25-23.
Kills from Katherine Sandt, Moore and a block from Hansen would jump the Tigers out to a four-point lead early in the second set. Clemson would then extend the lead to eight points with kills from Nil Okur and Mira McGrath leading the charge into the media timeout. The Tigers would continue to push their momentum and further extend the lead to 12 points. Kennedy Wagner would be responsible for five of the final six points as Clemson took the second set, 25-13.
The Tigers started in a dead heat with the Buccaneers in the third set and traded points until it was tied, 9-9. Clemson would then go on an eight-point run powered by a trio of aces from Sandt along with a kill and solo block by Okur. A pair of kills by Hansen, an ace by Addi Rains and a kill each from Sandt and McGrath would put the Tigers on a five-point run to claim the set, 25-13.
Similar to the third set, Clemson and Charleston Southern were deadlocked through the first eight points. A five-point run thanks to kills by Wagner, McGrath and Sandt pushed the Tiger lead to four points. The Orange and Regalia continued to assert its dominance as it won nine of the next 14 points. Kills by Sandt and Aksoy would secure the Tigers victory in the set, 25-18, and the match, 3-1.
Tiger Leaders/Highlights:
Up Next
The Tigers end their month-long homestand with the beginning of conference play against Florida State and Miami (Fla.) next week. Clemson welcomes the Seminoles to Jervey Gym on Friday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. before hosting the Hurricanes on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. Both matches can be streamed on ACCNX. All home games inside Jervey Gym are free and open to the public.
