Volleyball Tigers Travel to Gainesville for Florida Classic

Sept. 16, 2004

The Clemson volleyball team is headed to Gainesville, FL to participate in the Florida Classic this weekend. The tournament, hosted by #4 Florida, also features Connecticut of the Big East Conference. UC Santa Barbara, ranked 10th in the country, was forced to cancel due to the threat of Hurricane Ivan.

The Tigers will hook up with the Gators at 7:00 PM Friday evening in only the second matchup ever between the two schools. Clemson plays its second and final game of the weekend Saturday at 4:00 PM against UCONN.

A pair of performers have played well lately for the Tigers in particular. Leslie Finn, senior captain, ranks 13th nationally this week with 5.23 kills per game. Finn has a total of 184 kills this season, and is now just 17 kills from passing current assistant coach Jodi Steffes for fifth place in Clemson history. Anna Vallinch has shined in her role as libero for the Tigers this season. She recorded a Jervey Gym record 34 digs in the loss Tuesday to Georgia, the fourth-highest dig total in school history. She leads the team with 162 and a 4.50 per game average.

Florida is paced offensively by Jane Collymore, who has 154 kills and averages 5.13 per game. She also has 102 digs, second-best on the team. Sherri Williams has played well for the Gators this year also, as she leads the team with a .368 hitting percentage and 38 total blocks.

UCONN enters the tournament with an even 4-4 record overall. The Huskies feature a setter in Jenny Neelands who has 312 assists this season, compared to just three ball-handling errors. Jamie Hadenfeldt has 113 kills and 101 digs for the Huskies.

The matches can be followed online at www.gatorzone.com, where fans can click on the link to live stats on the right side of the home page.

Florida Classic Scheduule

Friday, September 17 Clemson vs. Florida 7:00 PM

Saturday, September 18 Clemson vs. UCONN 4:00 PM

Sunday, September 19 Florida vs. UCON 1:00 PM