Clemson Volleyball Travels To Georgia Tech Courtyard Classic

Sept. 9, 2009

Fresh off a victory at the DePaul Challenge in Chicago, the Tiger Volleyball team will again hit the road for a tournament on Friday and Saturday in Atlanta. Georgia Tech hosts the Courtyard Classic, which includes the Tigers, Jackets, Southeast Missouri, and Ole Miss.

Clemson and Georgia Tech will play Friday night at 7:00 pm in the conference opener for both schools. Then they will then play Ole Miss on Saturday morning at 10:30, before closing with Southeast Missouri at 4:30 pm on Saturday.

Clemson is 5-1 on the young season, having won each of its five matches since a season-opening loss. Kelsey Murphy was named ACC Player of the Week for the week of Aug. 31 after she led Clemson to a .359 hitting pct. in three three-set victories against Loyola, Western Illinois, and DePaul. The Tigers are tied for second in the ACC standings and lead the conference in kills/set and blocks/set.

Clemson is also closing in on 700 program victories, needing only six more to accomplish that feat. Additionally, Didem Ege has a 51 match double-digit dig streak that she will put on the line.

The Tigers own a combined 34-22 record against the Georgia Tech Courtyard Classic field. The Tigers have won at Georgia Tech in each of the past two seasons, overcoming a 2-0 deficit a season ago. The Tigers beat Ole Miss 3-0 in 1994 in the programs’ most recent meeting. Clemson and Southeast Missouri have never met in volleyball.

Georgia Tech enters the match at 4-2, having dropped two of the past three to tough opponents. The Jackets are led by Monique Mead and Bailey Hunter, who are each averaging over three kills/set. Ole Miss comes in at 5-2 on a four-match win streak. The Rebels have posted a strong 2.44 blocks/set average, and Katie Norris leads the team at 4.12 kills/set and a .289 hitting pct. Southeast Missouri is 3-3, and has lost three of their past four. Emily Hughes is the main option, averaging 3.68 kills/set on a .341 hitting pct.

Following the weekend series in Atlanta, the Tigers will return home to host the Clemson Classic on Sept. 18-19. Michigan State, Presbyterian, and Furman will play in the two-day event.