Clemson dropped the first set in extra points, 26-24, after being outhit by the blazers .220 to .077. The Tigers responded in set No. 2 as freshman outside hitter Ashtynne Alberts, who registered her third double-double on the season with 15 kills and 11 digs on the night, recorded five in the second. Clemson was down 11-7 in the set before Franklin called timeout. Coming out the huddle, the Tigers rallied off four straight points to tie the game and shift momentum in their favor. Clemson then sparked another rally, scoring five straight points to gain an 18-13 lead before going on to take the set, 25-22.
Coming out of the break, the Tigers took the early lead and maintained it for the entirety of the set. Alberts, Bailey and Thomas combined for 14 of the Tigers’ 17 kills in the set, which Clemson went on to win, 25-22, gaining a 2-1 lead in the process.
The fourth was tight throughout as neither team ever led by more than two points. Clemson had match point with Alberts behind the service line, but a Clemson error knotted the score, 25-25. Freshman setter Gabby Easton, who tallied 54 assists on the night, achieved her fourth match of the season with at least 50 assists, and came up with a timely block to give the Tigers a 26-25 lead. The next play, Easton dimed a pass to sophomore Alyssa Deloney, who recorded the match-winning kill for the Tigers.
Clemson returns to the Jervey hardwood for two matches Saturday, Sept. 8. The Tigers face Troy (4-3, 0-0 Sun Belt) at 12:30 p.m., and North Dakota (5-3, 0-0 Summit) at 7 p.m. Both Clemson matches are set to stream on ACC Network Extra.
