Clemson Volleyball Opens ACC Play At Duke On Friday Night

Sept. 21, 2006

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CLEMSON, SC – The Tiger volleyball team will begin the 2006 ACC season this weekend as it will travel to Duke and Wake Forest. The Tigers (5-3) and Blue Devils (7-2) will battle at 7:00 pm Friday night at the Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC, while Clemson will face the Demon Deacons (4-5) on Saturday at 6:00 pm at Reynolds Gym in Winston-Salem, NC. Fans can follow Friday night’s action via livestats by accessing Duke’s website at www.goduke.com.

Sophomores Jeannette Abbott and Danielle Hepburn lead the Tiger offense, totaling 217 kills between them. Hepburn is also aiding the defense with 50 total blocks in Clemson’s eight matches. The 1.61 average ranks her 12th in the nation for the statistic. As a team, the Tigers are averaging 3.13 blocks per game, compared to just 1.61 by their opponents. Clemson is also out-hitting the opposition, 462 kills to 432, with a .273 hitting percentage.

Saturday’s contest against the Demon Deacons will mark the second straight weekend that head coach Jolene Jordan Hoover will face one of her former players. Heather Kahl Holmes was a Tiger setter from 1991-94 and still ranks third in Clemson volleyball history with 3,722 career assists. Hoover and the Tigers defeated Michelle (Young) Thieke’s Furman Paladins on Sept. 16.

Scouting the Blue Devils The Duke volleyball team begins ACC play with a 7-2 record, including a 3-0 mark in matches played on its home court at the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Carrie DeMange leads the Blue Devil squad with 116 kills while also posting 31 total blocks and 10 service aces. Setter Ali Hausfeld is averaging 12.69 assists per game with 368 in 29 games played, and libero Jenny Shull has recorded 171 defensive saves.

As a team, Duke has tallied 508 kills this season, while limiting its opposition to just 390. The Blue Devils have also recorded 52 service aces, compared to just 25 for their opponents.

Clemson vs. Duke, The Series The Blue Devils hold a 28-17 all-time advantage over Clemson since the series began in 1980. Last season, the Tigers defeated Duke by a 3-1 score on Sept. 23 in Clemson, SC. The Blue Devils responded with their own 3-1 victory in Durham, NC on Oct. 27. The Tigers have won eight of 18 matches played on their home court, while Duke leads 15-5 in contests played in Durham.

Scouting the Demon Deacons Wake Forest enters the first weekend of ACC play with a 4-5 record and will take on Georgia Tech Friday night before meeting the Tigers on Saturday. Two Demon Deacon players are already over the 100-kill mark, as Jessica Furlong and Natalie Mullikin have 118 and 103, respectively. Mullikin also leads the squad with 35 total blocks, while Dylan Faulkner has tallied a team-high 390 set assists.

Clemson vs. Wake Forest, The Series The Tigers and Demon Deacons have met a total of 28 times on the volleyball court, with Clemson claiming the victory in 18 of the contests. The schools split the two matches played last year, as the Tigers opened the ACC season with a 3-2 victory at Jervey Gym on Sept. 22 and Wake Forest won a 3-1 decision on Oct. 28 in Winston-Salem, NC.