Virginia Defeats Clemson Volleyball in Five Sets

Oct. 3, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Clemson went to five sets for a second consecutive match, but could not pull out a win in Charlottesville on Sunday, as the Cavaliers (7-8, 1-4 ACC) powered past Clemson (11-5, 2-3 ACC), 3-2 (19-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-19, 15-10). Virginia had 83 kills and hit an opponent season-best .279, which ended up being the difference in the match.

Clemson falls to 3-2 on the year in five-set matches. Sandra Adeleye had a season-best 18 kills and hit .484, while Mo Simmons recorded career highs in kills (11) and digs (12) for her first career double-double. Alexa Rand had nine total blocks on the day. Clemson hit .268 on the day and had only 13 attack errors, but Virginia’s trio of McKenzie Adams (29 kills), Simone Asque (24 kills), and Jessica O’Shoney (19 kills) led Virginia to their first conference win of the season.

The Tigers will be on the road for the next two matches as well, traveling to Florida State on Friday and Miami on Sunday for key ACC tilts.

Clemson took a 10-6 lead early in the set and used solid defense an hot hitting to take the first set, 25-19. The Tigers hit .464 in the set, making only one attack error. Adeleye led all Tigers with five kills, but Rand and Simmons each added three as well. Clemson turned a 14-12 lead into an18-12 advantage, taking the winning margin and holding on. Rand also was in on three of Clemson’s four blocks in the set, and Yaz led all players with seven digs in the set. Asque had nine kills for the Cavaliers, including her team’s final four points.

Virginia scored the first three points of the second set, and used a 7-0 run during the set to turn a 12-10 lead into a 19-10 advantage. The Cavs stretched the lead to ten at 24-14 before closing out the set, 25-16 to knot the match at 1-1. The teams reversed roles, as Virginia hit .343 and held Clemson to .120 hitting and only seven kills. Asque had another eight kills of her own in the set, giving her 17 through two sets.

Virginia looked to be in control in the third set, as they held a 21-18 advantage. Clemson responded with the next three points to knot the match at 21-21 after an Adeleye kill. The teams traded points, and Virginia took a 24-23 lead on a kill from O’Shoney. Virginia then called a timeout to get things in order as they tried for the set-clinching point. They got the offensive play they wanted, but Simons and Rand were there to thwart Asque’s bid for a 22^nd kill. Serenat Yaz then hit on an ace, and Adeleye downed a kill to steal the set, 26-24.

Virginia won a close fourth set, 25-19 to force a fifth set. Clemson struggled to a .146 hitting percentage in the set, while Virginia racked up 17 kills. Virginia opened an early 8-3 lead, before Clemson got within one at 8-7. With the score 10-9 in favor of the Cavs, Virginia went on a 9-3 run to take control of the set with a 19-12 advantage. The Tigers closed the deficit to five at 23-18, but couldn’t get any closer as the teams headed to a fifth set.

The teams traded blows early in the set, but a 4-0 run to take an 11-6 lead, giving them the working margin to take down the Tigers, 15-10.