Tiger Volleyball To Welcome Three Teams To Jervey Gym For Clemson Classic

Sept. 12, 2007

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CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson volleyball team will play host to its second tournament of the 2007 season as the Tigers will welcome Appalachian State, Georgia State and Kent State to Jervey Gym this weekend for the Clemson Classic. The first match will be played on Friday, Sept. 14 at 12:00 pm and will feature the Tigers and Golden Flashes of Kent State.

Clemson will then face Appalachian State at 7:00 pm on Friday before taking on Georgia State at 11:00 am on Saturday morning. Livestats for all six tournament matches will be available by accessing the Clemson Classic page under the volleyball section on www.clemsontigers.com.

The Tigers boast a 4-2 record for the 2007 season and have already claimed one tournament title, winning the Microtel Mississippi State Classic in Starkville to open the year. Danielle Hepburn leads the Clemson squad with 91 kills for a .431 hitting percentage that also ranks first in the ACC. The Miami, FL native has also posted 31 total kills for a 1.35 per game average. Defensively, Didem Ege has tallied 131 digs so far in 2007, while setter Kelsey Murphy has notched 253 assists to rank fourth in the conference with an 11.00 per game figure.

Overall, the Tigers are out hitting their opponents with 74 more kills and a .274-.155 attack percentage advantage. Clemson is also averaging 2.61 total team blocks per game with 423 defensive saves.

Scouting the Field The Clemson Classic field includes teams from four different states as squads from Georgia, North Carolina and Ohio meet in South Carolina.

Kent State brings a 9-1 record into this weekend’s tournament, a mark that includes seven road victories. The Golden Flashes won the William & Mary Classic earlier this season. They are led by senior Anja Knabe-Paulsen who has posted 132 kills, 102 digs and 18 total blocks. Freshman Lauren Jones ranks second on the team with 131 kills while hitting a .257 percentage. Kent State is led defensively by Laura Jensen, who has tallied 214 digs, and Krista Groce, who owns a team-best 29 total blocks.

Appalachian State will begin the weekend with a 2-9 record, having not yet played a match on their home court. The Mountaineers are out-blocking their opponents with a 2.0 blocks per game average, led by junior Carla Durham’s 43 total blocks. Senior Brittany Zahn has tallied a team-high 146 kills for a 4.17 kills per game average, while setter Lorelle Rau has recorded 236 assists guiding the App. State offense.

The Panthers of Georgia State own a 7-5 ledger entering this weekend’s play. They claimed the North Texas Tournament title earlier this season with wins over Texas State, Missouri-Kansas City and North Texas. Amy Lusk leads the team on the offensive front with 148 kills, while setter Noelle Boyd has tallied nearly 500 kills already this season. Defensively, Lusk has also recorded a team-high 130 digs, while Ana Paula Ferreira and Jocelyn have combined for 110 total blocks.

Clemson Against the Field The 2007 Clemson Classic field includes one new opponent for the Tiger program and two will be making return trips to Tigertown. Clemson owns a combined 19-3 all-time record against the Mountaineers and Panthers but will be facing the Kent State Golden Flashes for the first time in history.

After losing the first two match-ups with Georgia State in 1977 and 1978, the Tigers have won the last 10 straight for a 10-2 record against the Panthers. The teams last met in 2004 when Clemson posted a 3-1 victory on its home court.

The Tigers also lead the series score over Appalachian State, 9-1, and won the last meeting by a 3-1 margin at Jervey Gym. The Mountaineers’ lone victory came during the 2000 season in Auburn, AL when they claimed a 3-1 decision.

Clemson Invitational ScheduleFriday 12:00 pm – Clemson vs. Kent State 2:00 pm – Appalachian State vs. Georgia State 7:00 pm – Clemson vs. Appalachian StateSaturday 11:00 am – Clemson vs. Georgia State 1:00 pm – Appalachian State vs. Kent State 6:00 pm – Georgia State vs. Kent State