Volleyball Set For Weekend Dates With North Carolina and NC State

Oct. 23, 2008

CLEMSON, SC – The Tiger volleyball team will head to North Carolina this weekend for matches against the Tar Heels and Wolfpack. Clemson (15-5, 7-2 ACC) will face North Carolina (11-9, 5-4 ACC) on Friday at 5:00 pm at the Dean E. Smith Center. The Tigers will then take on NC State (9-15, 3-6 ACC) on Saturday at the Reynolds Center in Raleigh.

Fans will be able to follow the action with livestats both nights. GameTracker for Friday’s match will be available on www.clemsontigers.com, while NC State’s Athletic Website will provide livestats on Saturday.

Clemson senior Danielle Hepburn leads the team offensively and defensively with team highs in kills, hitting percentage and total blocks. She became the school’s all-time leader in blocks last weekend and also owns school career records in block assists, hitting percentage and blocks per set. In 2008, the Miami, FL native has totaled 267 kills while hitting a .374 clip. Her 1.55 blocks per set leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally. The Tigers are on pace for another top-five team season hitting percentage as setter Kelsey Muphy is guiding the offense to a .270 figure this season. The junior from New Lenox, IL has totaled 756 assists this season and has also tallied 84 total blocks and 175 digs in 2008.

Scouting The Opposition North Carolina is coming off of a four-set loss to Miami on the road and will look to stay above .500 in the conference as the Tigers come to town. The Tar Heels are 11-9 on the year with a 5-4 ACC record. Lauren Prussing and Suzanne Haydel receive the majority of swings in the North Carolina offense, combining for 358 kills on 1,407 attempts. Defensively, the Tar Heels are averaging 2.62 blocks per set to hold opponents to a meager .146 hitting figure. Brianna Eskola ranks second in the league with a 4.85 digs per set average in leading North Carolina with 359 total defensive saves.

The Wolfpack enters the weekend with a 9-15 overall ledger and a 3-6 mark in conference matches. NC State will play host to Georgia Tech on Friday night before welcoming the Tigers to town on Saturday. Under second-year coach Charita J. Stubbs, the Wolfpack has already won more ACC matches than in the past six years combined. Arlee Tamietti, a transfer from Boise State, leads the team with 243 kills and has also notched 20 service aces this season. She is one of five players over the century mark in kills for the Pack. Senior middle Aiwane Iboaya ranks second on the squad with 162 kills while posting a team-high 86 blocks.

Clemson Against The Tar Heels, Wolfpack Clemson defeated North Carolina twice last season but still trails the Tar Heels, 47-15, in the series score. The Tigers won a 3-1 decision at the Carmichael Auditorium in Chapel Hill last season and then swept UNC at home later in the year. The Tigers have won 20 straight over NC State to boast a 34-17 all-time record against the Wolfpack. Clemson won both meetings in 2007 by a 3-0 margin and owns a 15-9 record in matches played at NC State.