Volleyball Heads to Georgia Tech Courtyard Classic

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson volleyball team heads to Atlanta on Thursday and Friday to take on Georgia State and Georgia Tech in the Georgia Tech Courtyard Classic held at O’Keefe Gym. The Tigers (8-2, 0-0 ACC) play the Panthers (2-8) at 7:00 PM on Thursday, and then open the ACC portion of the schedule with Georgia Tech (7-2, 0-0 ACC) on Friday at 7:00 pm. Live stats are available for both matches, and fans can watch Clemson’s match against the Yellow Jackets for a fee at RamblinWreck.com. Head coach Jolene Jordan Hoover will go for her 500th career victory against Georgia State, having recently crossed the 400 win milestone at Clemson earlier this season. The Tigers have won 12 of 14 all-time meet-ups with Georgia State, including a recent showing in 2010 in Jervey Gym, an impressive 25-16, 25-6, 25-22 win. In that match, Natalie Patzin, now a libero, led all players with 13 kills, while Mo Simmons had 10 kills. Clemson’s second set, a 25-6 win, was the most lopsided set score in the 25-point set era, which dates to 2008. The Tigers had 17 kills in 22 swings for a .773 team hitting mark, while also siding out on all seven of GSU’s serves. Clemson is 35-23 all-time against Georgia Tech, winning both matches last season 3-0. Prior to last season, six straight meetings had gone to five sets. In two matches last season, Clemson held Tech’s star hitter, Monique Mead, to a .013 hitting percentage (21k-20-75ta) and totaled 21.0 total blocks in the six sets. Simmons, whose family and friends showed in full force last season, is a Buford, GA native, while Kalah Jones is also from the Atlanta area. Simmons leads the ACC at 3.84 kills per set, and has made the all-tournament team in each of Clemson’s three tournaments so far. Sandra Adeleye, a three-time All-ACC selection, has also been named all-tournament three times this season, and is second on the team and 10th in the ACC at 3.44 kills per set and a .373 hitting percentage. Clemson has found much success in the service game early, where they are plus-40 in scoring and rank fourth in the nation at 1.97 aces per set. Just ahead of them, however, is Georgia Tech, who comes in at more than two per set. The Tigers rank in the top 25 nationally in four offensive categories, including hitting percentage (.282, 22nd), kills per set (14.66, 16th), assists (13.56, 16th) and aces per set (1.97, 4th).