KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Clemson Tigers (2-1) won their first ever matchup against the Western Michigan Broncos (2-1) on Sunday afternoon (25-27, 25-23, 25-19, 25-20) in order to win the Western Michigan Tournament and snap the Broncos 19-game home winning streak dating back to the 2022 season.
Clemson was led by senior pin hitter Azyah Dailey recording a team-high 19 kills, including surpassing her 400th kill as a Tiger. She was followed closely by junior pin hitter Mia McGrath who posted a double-double with 14 kills and a career-high 20 digs. Redshirt freshman Katherine Sandt joined McGrath with a double-double clocking 42 assists and 13 digs, while the true defensive star was senior libero Devan Taylor. Taylor continued to climb through the Tigers’ record book after she surpassed Jodi Steffes’ 1,309 digs to claim fifth-most digs in Clemson history with 1,337 following a 28-dig match, one shy of her career high.
Sandt recorded her second-straight double-double of the season while also setting career highs in assists and aces (two). McGrath recorded her 500th point this afternoon while also recording her first double-double of the season. The Illinois native’s 20 digs set a career-high, while both of the transfers tabbed season and career-highs as Indigo Young set a season-high with seven kills, and Kate Hansen tied her career-high with eight kills.
As a team, the Tigers finished with 10 total blocks, including five solo coming at the hands of McGrath (three), freshman Neea-Maria Joki (one) and Indigo Young (one). Clemson’s 10 blocks marks the most team blocks since Nov. 30, 2023 when the Tigers notched 11 against Eastern Kentucky in the second round of the NIVC.
The Tigers began the match by distributing 16 kills between five separate players. During a tightly contested first set that saw 17 ties and nine lead changes. Dailey set the pace with four kills. Joki, Hansen, McGrath and Young each contributed three kills in the set, with Sandt adding an ace. Clemson tacked on 15 assists and 21 digs during the first set, with Sandt and Young also being awarded a block assist. Clemson dropped the opening set, 25-27.
Five blocks and two aces changed the Tigers’ favor in an equally close second set where they came out on top, 25-23. Dailey continued to set the pace for the Tigers’ offense, adding another four kills during the set while McGrath followed closely with three kills and posted two solo blocks. Joki joined the block party by tallying a solo block and added another two kills. Aces from Taylor and Sandt in the middle of six and five-point runs, respectively, kept the momentum on Clemson’s side to close out the set.
With momentum from winning the set, the Tigers hit at a .357 percentage to capture the third, 25-19. Dailey tallied another five kills, and McGrath was a versatile threat with three kills for the third-consecutive set and another solo block. Taylor gave the Tigers her second ace of the afternoon, while Clemson was fundamentally sound with 15 assists, 21 digs and three blocks.
An early 10-3 Clemson advantage set the tone early on for the fourth and final set of the contest. Similarly to the rest of the match, Dailey and McGrath led the Tigers on the offensive end with six and five kills each. Joki and Young each added two kills of their own while Young recorded a block solo to help spur the Tigers’ 3-1 victory.
Up Next
Clemson will continue its season-opening road stretch by traveling to Statesboro, Ga., Sept. 6-7 for matchups against Maryland Eastern Shore and Georgia Southern. Action begins on Friday, Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. against UMES.
