Tiger Volleyball To Play Host To NC State And North Carolina

Oct. 22, 2003

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson volleyball team will play host to NC State and North Carolina this weekend in Jervey Gym. The Tigers will take on NC State on Friday night at 7:00 p.m., and then play North Carolina Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

The Tigers enter this weekend with a 13-11 record on the season and a 2-6 mark in ACC play, after defeating Appalachian State 3-1 on Tuesday. This season, Clemson is 8-4 at home with wins over Furman, Winthrop, South Carolina, East Tennessee State, Charleston Southern, Illinois-Chicago, Virginia and Appalachian State. As a team, the Tiger are hitting .219 with a 15.16 kills per game average, along with 13.59 assists per game, 15.62 digs per game and 2.73 blocks per game.

Leslie Finn leads all Tiger hitters with 379 kills and a 4.26 kills per game average, while Lori Ashton has a team-high .279 hitting percentage with 302 kills and a 3.32 kills per game average. Ashton leads Clemson at the net with 116 total blocks (42 solo) and a 1.27 blocks per game average. Ryane Beasley has recorded 257 kills with a .259 hitting percentage, 112 digs and 100 blocks (21 solo), while Liz Beckham has tallied 227 digs with 242 kills. Lindsey Abbott leads the Tigers in defensive saves with 345 and a 3.83 digs per game average, and Carly Hill has served up a team-best 31 aces with a 0.42 per game average. Stephanie Haskell has dished out 822 assists this season with a 10.41 per game average.

NC State is 7-16 overall and 0-8 in league play, after defeating Campbell on Tuesday night. Julia Reis leads the team with 246 kills, 3.32 kills per game average and a team-best 24 service aces. Maya Mapp has posted with 204 kills and a team-best .302 hitting percentage. She is the Wolfpack’s top blocker with 83 (10 solo). Bruna Maraccini has recorded 277 digs with a 3.42 digs per game average, and Crystal Shannon has handed out 684 assists with a 10.21 assists per game average. The Tigers hold a 23-17 all-time record against NC State with a 12-4 mark at home in Jervey Gym. Clemson defeated the Wolfpack earlier this season in Raleigh by a score of 3-0.

North Carolina is entering this weekend with a 15-7 overall record and a 6-2 record in conference action after falling to 14th-ranked Notre Dame by a score of 3-1. Molly Pyles has a team-best 282 kills with a 3.66 kills per game average and 25 service aces. Katie Wright has tallied 208 kills with a .320 hitting percentage, while Aletha Green leads the team in blocks with 90 (19 solo) and a 1.18 blocks per game average. Caroline deRoeck has 268 digs with a 3.44 digs per game average, and Dani Nyenhuis has added 155 digs with 204 kills. Norma Cortez has recorded 474 assists with 15 aces, while McKenzie Byrd has 470 assists for the Tar Heels. Clemson is 12-40 all-time against North Carolina, with a 4-11 mark in Jervey Gym. Earlier this season, the Tigers fell to North Carolina 3-1 at Carmichael Auditorium.

This weekend is Clemson Volleyball Alumni weekend and Saturday is Fan Appreciation Day. Prior to the North Carolina match on Oct. 25, fans are invited to join alumni to “Tailgate with the Tigers” in celebration of Fan Appreciation Day. The cookout will take place on the hill outside of Jervey Gym. Admission is free to all home volleyball matches.