Clemson Volleyball To Face Maryland and Boston College On The Road

Nov. 17, 2005

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson volleyball team (11-15, 6-12 ACC) will travel to the States of Maryland and Massachusetts this weekend to face the University of Maryland and Boston College. The Tigers and Terrapins will square off at 5:00 PM on Friday, Nov. 18 in College Park, MD, and then Clemson will meet the Eagles on Saturday for a 7:00 PM match in Chestnut Hill, MA.

The Tigers are led by outside hitters Jeannette Abbott and Brittany Ross, who have accumulated 446 and 422 kills, respectively, for the season. Ross tied the school record for kills in a match with 32 against Georgia Tech on Tuesday, Nov. 15, while Abbott is looking to break the Clemson freshman record for kills in a season. Fellow rookie Danielle Hepburn has already taken her place in Tiger volleyball history. She broke Cindy Stern’s record of 109 total blocks by a freshman with six matches left in the season. Hepburn now has 126 total blocks with 106 block assists, aiding the Clemson effort at the net. The Tigers have out-blocked their opponents by 55 total team blocks during the 2005 season and are averaging 2.79 blocks per game.

The Maryland Terrapins boast a 24-3 overall record for the 2005 season. The Terps are also 15-3 in conference play, which ranks them second in the league standings. The team is led by Rachel Wagener who has recorded team-bests with 323 kills, a .392 hitting percentage and 158 total blocks. Four other Maryland players have tallied over 200 kills for the season, helping the team to a league-leading .275 hitting percentage. At the net, Stephanie Smith has posted 136 blocks to rank second on the team. The Terrapins are averaging 3.21 blocks per game, which ranks first in the ACC, while holding opponents to a 1.93 block per game ratio.

Maryland won a 3-1 decision earlier this season in Clemson, SC to take a 26-25 lead in the series score. The Terps also hold a 12-9 advantage in matches played in College Park. However, the Tigers won the 2004 match at the Comcast Center Pavillion by a score of 3-0.

Boston College enters the Nov. 18-19 weekend with a 7-20 overall record and a 2-16 mark in ACC action. Kelsey Johnson has a team-high 267 kills for the season, while Morgan Woodcock leads the Eagles with 72 total blocks. Libero Allison Anderson leads the league with a 5.45 dig per game average as she has tallied 463 defensive saves in 85 games.

Saturday’s match between the Tigers and Eagles will mark the first match Clemson has played on the Eagles’ home court. Boston College defeated the Tigers, 3-1, in Tigertown earlier this season, but Clemson holds a 3-1 advantage in the series score.