#24 Clemson To Face Virginia, Virginia Tech On The Road

Nov. 1, 2007

CLEMSON, SC – After a five-match homestand, the 24th-ranked Clemson volleyball team will take to the road this weekend for matches at Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Tigers (21-2, 14-0 ACC) and Cavaliers (14-6, 9-5 ACC) are scheduled for a 7:00 pm start on Friday at the Memorial Gymnasium in Charlottesville, VA, while Clemson and the Hokies will battle at 6:00 pm on Saturday from the Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, VA.

Friday night’s match will be broadcast over the Internet at www.clemsontigers.com.

Watch Clemson vs. Virginia Live!

Jolene Jordan Hoover will be going for her 400th career victory this weekend. The Tigers’ head coach boasts a 306-173 record in 15 years at Clemson and owns a 399-204 record in her 18 years as a head coach.

Hoover has guided the 2007 Tigers to a school-record 17-match overall winning streak, including their 14 straight ACC victories this season.

Four Clemson hitters have tallied at least 200 kills this year, with Leslie Mansfield close at 194. Jeannette Abbott leads the squad with 302, and Danielle Hepburn trails her at #2 with 285. Lia Proctor then has 232 and Meghan Steiner has added 221 with a team-best .401 hitting percentage. Setter Didem Ege is averaging 5.18 digs per game.

Scouting the Cavaliers Virginia enters Friday’s match in a tie for third-place in the ACC with a 9-5 conference record. The Cavaliers also boast a 14-9 overall ledger and have been winners in four of their last six contests.

Senior Sarah Kirkwood leads the team with 406 kills and a .263 hitting percentage. Her 4.56 kills per game average ranks second in the ACC and she is also listed at #2 with an average of 5.37 points scored per game. Virginia is averaging 14.75 kills per game with an impressive 2.07 aces per game figure as well. Opponentes are hitting just .191 against them this season.

Scouting the Hokies Virginia Tech will begin the Nov. 2-3 weekend of play with an even 12-12 record, including a 6-8 mark in ACC play. The Hokies will face Georgia Tech on Friday night before playing host to the Tigers on Saturday.

Felicia Willoughby is leading the conference with a 1.55 blocks per game average, helping Virginia Tech to hold opponents to just a .161 team hitting percentage. Overall, the Hokies are averaging 3.15 blocks per game, which ranks 16th in the nation, while allowing the opposition just 2.21 blocks per game.