Hoover wins 400th as Clemson Tops South Carolina State

CLEMSON, SC – Head Coach Jolene Jordan Hoover led her team to a 3-0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-17) sweep of South Carolina State on Saturday afternoon, claiming the 400th victory on the sideline for Clemson. Clemson improved to 2-0 on the young season, winning their second showing in the Big Orange Bash in Jervey Gymnasium. Three Clemson players posted double-figure kills, with sophomore Kristin Faust leading the way with 12 kills on 21 swings for a .476 percentage. Sandra Adeleye had 11 kills in 17 attacks, and junior Mo Simmons had double-figure kills for the second straight match. Hannah Brenner had 37 assists on her 61 sets, and average of more than 12 per set, and in two matches, she has a set conversion rate of .591 of her sets going for kills. Clemson hit .359 as a team on Saturday afternoon, and racked up seven blocks in the match as well. Natalie Patzin led all players with 13 digs, as Clemson’s defense held the Bulldogs to a .070 hitting match. Alexa Rand collected her 500th career block on the first point of the second set, and finished with 501 to tie her for seventh in Clemson history. Faust has been a bright spot for the Tigers early, tallying 22 kills on .400 hitting the first two matches to go along with seven service aces. Simmons is the early leader, with 23 kills in the two matches and a .452 hitting percentage. Hoover was able to work in many of her players off the bench, including freshman Kalah Jones, who recorded the first two kills of her career in the third set. Savannah Miller also made her first appearance in the match as well. Clemson returns to action on Saturday evening at 6:00 pm against Xavier (2-0) in trying for a third straight Big Orange Bash title.