Tigers Use Balanced Attack to Push Past Virginia, 3-1

Nov. 12, 2010

CLEMSON, SC – Four Tigers had double-digit kills and the team hit .278 as Clemson volleyball (16-11, 7-9 ACC) defeated Virginia, 3-1 , on Friday night. Serenat Yaz, Sandra Adeleye, Alexa Rand, and Natalie Patzin combined for 58 of Clemson’s 66 kills on the night.

Virginia (13-13, 7-9 ACC) actually came out and won the first set, 25-23, before the Tigers responded to win the next three sets, 25-16, 29-27, and 25-21. Yaz had her 17^th double-double of the season, and 14^th in league play with 16 kills and 16 digs. Freshman setter Hannah Brenner had 53 assists, 10 digs, and seven kills and hit .438 in leading the Tiger offense.

Adeleye, who leads all ACC middle hitters in kills, added 16 more, along with three total blocks for 18.5 total points. Natalie Patzin had a career-high 22 digs and 12 kills for her fifth double-double of the year.

Defensively, Cansu Ozdemir added 14 of her own.

The first set was tight most of the way as Virginia opened an early 9-6 lead, before Clemson went on an 11-6 run to take a 17-15 lead. With the Tigers up 21-19, the Cavaliers went on a 6-2 run to close the set, 25-23. Adeleye led all players with six kills, and the Tigers outhit the Cavaliers, but Virginia had five blocks to propel them to the win.

Clemson responded quickly in the second set, turning a 6-3 deficit into a 10-7 lead. Yaz had six kill sin 11 swings and Rand added five kills of her own as the Tigers blasted their way to .400 (15-1-35) hitting while holding the Cavs to .038 (11-9-53) hitting percentage. The Tigers led most of the way, winning 25-16 going into intermission.

The third set was a nail-biter as the teams jostled for match position. There were 17 tie scores and four lead changes. Clemson looked to have the set sewn up at 24-21, but a 6-1 run actually gave the Cavaliers match point. Adeleye responded with a kill to tie the score, and after a Simone Asque kill gave the Cavs a 27—26 lead, Patzin found the floor to again knot the score. Brenner then found Yaz and Adeleye on back-to-back plays to clinch the set 29-27, the longest set the Tigers have played this season.

Up 2-1, the Tigers opened up a 16-6 lead. A 6-0 run closed the margin to four, but that would be enough as the teams traded points for the rest of the set with Clemson winning, 25-21 and clinching the match. Five Tigers had at least two kills in the set, led by Patzin’s four, including the match-clincher.

Clemson will play their final home match of the season on Sunday at 6:00 pm as they take on Virginia Tech, who defeated Georgia Tech on Friday night.