CLEMSON, S.C. - Clemson earned a four-set victory over USC Upstate, taking the match 25-23, 20-25, 25-15, 26-24.
The Tigers established momentum in the opening set with a 6-0 run that turned a 4-4 tie into a 10-4 advantage. Anika Groom sparked the stretch with a kill and service ace, while Bri Washington, Lina Merz and Kennedy Wagner added kills. Upstate battled back and pulled within one late, but Clemson remained composed. Wagner closed out the 25-23 victory with a kill off an assist from Katherine Sandt.
Clemson responded with a dominant third set, pulling away for a 25-15 win. Merz and Washington helped the Tigers build their advantage before Wagner took over down the stretch. Wagner recorded four kills and a solo block during Clemson’s closing stretch, while Katherine Sandt added a service ace to reach set point. Wagner then delivered the set-clinching kill to win the set for the Tigers.
The Tigers carried that momentum into a tightly contested fourth set. Clemson held a 21-18 advantage late before Wagner added two more kills, including one that pushed the lead to 23-20. Upstate rallied to tie the set at 24-all, but Anika Groom responded with a kill off an assist from Sandt to give Clemson another set point. With Irwin at the service line, an Upstate attack error sealed the 26-24 victory.
After taking the opening set and dropping the second, Clemson responded with consecutive victories of 25-15 and 26-24 to take control of the match.
Tiger Leaders
- Points: Kennedy Wagner - 19
- Kills: Kennedy Wagner - 18
- Digs: Katherine Sandt - 14
- Assists: Audrey Armbruster - 26
- Blocks: Alyssa Irwin - 3
- Aces: Anika Groom- 3
Up Next: The Tigers will open ACC play next week against Virginia on Sept. 25 at 6 pm in Jervey Gym. The team will also host Virginia Tech on Sept. 27 at 1 pm. Both matches will be streamed on ACCNX. For the most up to date schedule information, go to clemsontigers.com.