Clemson Volleyball To Play Host To Virginia And Maryland This Weekend

Oct. 1, 2003

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson volleyball team will play host to Virginia and Maryland this weekend in Jervey Gym. The Tigers will take on Virginia Friday night at 7:00 p.m., then on Saturday, Clemson will play host to Maryland beginning at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free to all home matches.

The Tigers enter this weekend with an 11-6 overall record and 1-1 mark in ACC play, after defeating NC State 3-0 last weekend. This season, Clemson has posted a 6-2 record in Jervey Gym, with wins over Furman, Winthrop, South Carolina, East Tennessee State, Charleston Southern and Illinois-Chicago.

Junior Leslie Finn leads the Tigers with 244 kills, a 4.00 kills per game average and is second on the team with 168 digs. Junior Lori Ashton has added 215 kills with a 3.41 kills per game average and a team-best .290 hitting percentage. The middle hitter leads the Tigers in blocks with 73 (26 solo). Red-shirt junior Ryane Beasley has tallied 178 kills with 90 digs and 71 blocks (13 solo), while freshman Liz Beckham has recorded 164 kills with 166 digs. Sophomore Carly Hill has served up a team-high 20 service aces, and senior Lindsey Abbott has 218 digs with a 3.52 digs per game average. Junior Stephanie Haskell has handed out 495 assists with a 9.71 assists per game average and 97 digs, while freshman Dawn Robertson has recorded 215 assists with 41 digs.

Virginia is 17-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play entering this weekend’s match, after defeating Duke in five games, but falling to Wake Forest 3-1. Paige Davis leads the Cavaliers with 248 kills, a 4.00 kills per game average and a team-best 22 service aces. Alexis Geocaris has 174 kills with a team-high .382 hitting percentage. Geocaris leads Virginia at the net with 78 blocks (15 solo) and a 1.26 blocks per game average. Shannon Boyle has recorded 158 kills with 70 blocks (12 solo), while Lindsay Osco has 149 kills with 188 digs. Whitney Ashcraft has tallied 316 digs with a 5.10 digs per game average, while Kristin Chaney has 151 digs and 120 kills. Emily Kirkwood has recorded 510 assists with 199 digs, and Kathleen Branagh has 305 assists with 62 digs.

Clemson boasts a 28-8 all-time record against Virginia, and a 14-3 mark in Jervey Gym. Under head coach Jolene Jordan Hoover, the Tigers have tallied a 16-3 record, with two losses in 2000 and one loss in 1998.

Maryland enters this weekend’s match with a 13-3 overall record and a 2-0 record in ACC matches, after defeating Duke 3-0 and Wake Forest 3-2 over the weekend. Lynnsy Jones has a team-best 201 kills with a .267 hitting percentage and 124 digs. Jones has served up 35 service aces with an 0.62 per game average. Maria DiLivio has recorded 192 kills and leads the team in digs with 186. Stephanie Smith has tallied 162 kills with a .393 hitting percentage and 73 blocks (10 solo), while Rachel Wagener has 147 kills with a .397 hitting percentage. Wagener leads the Terrapins in blocks with 98 (10 solo) and a 1.66 blocks per game average. Aimmee Huddleston has handed out 727 assists with a 12.32 assists per game average and 130 digs.

The Tigers hold a 23-22 all-time edge against Maryland, after splitting last year’s matches with the Terrapins. Under Hoover, Clemson has posted a 13-8 record and is 8-7 in Jervey Gym.