Clemson Volleyball to Host Key ACC Weekend

Sept. 22, 2010

The Clemson volleyball team (10-2, 1-0 ACC) will try and extend their three-match winning streak this weekend when they take on Wake Forest (7-4, 0-1 ACC) on Friday at 7:00 pm and Duke (9-2, 1-0 ACC) on Saturday at 6:00 pm in Jervey Gymnasium.

Both matches will be broadcast live on TigerCast, and will have livestats available at Clemsontigers.com.

Wake Forest is first up on Friday. The Demon Deacons are coached by former Clemson standout Heather Kahl Holmes, who played for two seasons under Jolene Jordan Hoover. Holmes still ranks in the top five in Clemson history in assists and assists per set.

Duke enters with two losses as well, with both coming to nationally ranked opponents Colorado State and Minnesota. The Blue Devils were the tied as the preseason ACC favorite by the league’s coaches, and a Clemson win would be a strong statement to the rest of the league.

Hoover has the young Tigers off to a solid start. Clemson features eight sophomores, five freshmen, a junior and a senior. The freshmen and sophomores have accounted for 100% of the team’s kills and blocks, and 98.7% of the team’s overall points.

Defense has been Clemson’s staple so far, as the Tigers rank fourth in the nation in blocking at 3.02 per set as a team. Additionally, the Tigers rank second in the ACC in opponent hitting percentage, holding opponents to a .135 average through 12 matches.

The Tigers got off to a 1-0 start in conference last weekend as they claimed the Clemson Classic opener over Georgia Tech in five sets. Clemson went on to win matches over Georgia State and Florida A&M to claim the tournament title, the team’s third of the season.

Sophomore Lacy Hayes were each named to the all-tournament team. Additionally, Mo Simmons was named the ACC’s Freshman of the Week for her outstanding play.

This will be Clemson’s final home weekend until Oct. 15 and 16, when the Tigers take on NC State and UNC.

Match Information:

Clemson v. Wake Forest- Friday, Sept. 24; 7:00 pm
Clemson v. Duke – Saturday Sept. 25; 6:00 pm
Admission is free

Broadcast Information:

Both matches are available on TigerCast at Clemsontigers.com
Livestats are also available at Clemsontigers.com

Marketing/Promotions:

Friday is Camp Reunion Night and there will be a post-match autograph session
Saturday is a Solid Orange event and Clemson Student appreciation night. The first 100 students to show ID will receive a free tee shirt. Students wearing orange will have the opportunity to compete in an intermission contests for a Clemson Prize Pack.
Dig Pink T-Shirts are still available for $10.00. The Dig Pink match is on Oct. 22 this season.

Scouting Wake Forest:

The Demon Deacons are coached by former Clemson standout, Heather Kahl Holmes
Kahl played at Clemson from 1991-94, with her final two seasons under Jolene Hoover
She was a 1994 AVCA all-Regional selection and was 2nd-team All-ACC
Kahl ranks 4th in Clemson history in assists and assists per set. Her 80 assists against UNC in 1994 still ranks second in Clemson history for a single match. She also had 35 digs in that match, which ranks fourth in team history
Wake Forest is 6-4 overall, and 0-1 in the ACC after a three-set loss to Duke
The Demon Deacons are led by Kadijah Fornah, who is averaging 3.68 kills per set so far this season, 3rd in the ACC
Clemson leads the All-Time series with the Demon Deacons, 25-10
Clemson has won the last seven matchups, dating back to a 3-1 loss in 2005

Scouting Duke:

The Blue Devils were picked to win the ACC in the preseason coaches poll
Duke leads the all-time series with the Tigers, 32-20, including a 3-2 win in Clemson last season
Duke has won the last two matchups, but Clemson won the previous three, including two in a row in 2007 when the Blue Devils were ranked in the top 15 nationally.
Head coaches Jolene Hoover and Jolene Nagel are each among the top-40 active coaches in wins
Duke, like Clemson, uses a balanced attack; Becci Burling leads the Blue Devils in kills with 3.01 per set, and Christiana Gray leads the ACC in hitting percentage at .431
The two teams are similar in the ACC stat rankings – Clemson ranks one spot higher in hitting % and opponent hitting %, but are nine spots high in blocking.