CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson pushed NC State through five competitive sets before the match ended 3-2 in favor of the visitors, with set scores of 22-25, 25-21, 25-16, 23-25, 10-15.
The Tigers kept the opening set close, with ties at 19-19 and 21-21. Anika Groom, Lina Merz and Katherine Sandt provided key kills as Clemson battled through the closing points. Ultimately, NC State narrowly took the opening set 25-22.
Clemson responded by controlling the second set and then taking the third set with a dominant 25-16 score. Claire Luoma’s service ace and kills from Anika Groom helped the Tigers take the second set, while Maddie Anspaugh finished with the set-point kill. In the third, Katherine Sandt sparked a decisive run with an ace, and Clemson continued to pressure NC State with blocks from Talea Mitchell and kills from Lina Merz, Anspaugh, Groom and Brianna Washington.
The Tigers continued to fight in the fourth set with their momentum from the third, overcoming a 9-5 deficit and cutting a 20-16 gap to 22-22 behind aces from Luoma and kills from Mitchell and Anspaugh. Ultimately, though, Clemson fell short and dropped set four 25-23.
The Tigers fell behind in the fifth set, which allowed NC State to carry momentum through to the end and win the fifth 15-10.
Clemson’s balanced offense, strong serving and persistent defense kept the Tigers in contention throughout all five sets and highlighted a determined performance from start to finish. With the 3-2 loss the Tigers are now 9-17 on the season and 3-11 in conference play.
Tiger Leaders
- Points: Anika Groom – 18.5
- Kills: Anika Groom – 18
- Digs: Katherine Sandt – 13
- Assists: Katherine Sandt – 37
- Blocks: Bri Washington – 5
Up Next: Clemson will now head to California for a pair of games, beginning Nov. 13 at #23 Stanford with first serve at 10 pm (ET) with the match streamed on ACCNX. The team will then head to California for a match on Nov. 15 at 4 pm (ET), also streamed on ACCNX. For the most up to date information, go to clemsontigers.com.