Clemson Volleyball Outlasts Wake Forest for 2-0 League Start
Photo Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Four Tigers registered double-figures in kills, led by 20 from sophomore Camryn Hannah, as Clemson held on to beat Wake Forest (9-4, 0-2 ACC) in five sets, 25-16, 21-25, 27-25, 15-25, 15-13. The Tigers (10-3, 2-0 ACC) have now won six in a row overall and have a 2-0 record in league play for the first time since 2011.
Mckenna Slavik led the Tiger offense to a .342 hitting percentage in the match, their third-best effort of the season. Slavik matched her career high with 52 assists and moved into seventh on Clemson’s all-time list in the effort. Cate Long (15 kills), Kaylee Martin (13 kills) and Ani Clark (12 kills) were key to Clemson’s balanced attack.
The Tigers hit a blistering .727 in the first set with 18 kills and two errors on 22 attempts, their most efficient set offensively of the season thus far. After dropping the second set, the Tigers won a key challenge at 24-25 in the third set, and went on to win, 27-25 behind a pair of strong serves from Hannah. The Deacs pushed it to five with a 25-15 win in the fourth set in which they led throughout.
Clemson came out quickly in the decisive fifth set, grabbing an early 6-2 lead, with kills from Martin, Hannah and Clark after a key point from Ava Pritchard. Wake stormed back to pull within one at 11-10. But the Tigers were able to hold on, setting up match point, and clinching on a Wake Forest attack error.
The Tigers have now won six matches in a row, marking the first six-match winning streak since the first six matches of the 2014 season.
Head Coach Jackie Kirr on the win:
I’m so proud of this entire team. They have been so focused on the process of getting better every day. The belief that wins will follow great preparation and execution has been critical to their steadiness against tough opponents. They are a resilient group and it’s been so fun to watch their growth.”
Up Next
Clemson returns to Jervey Gym this week against No. 5 Louisville at 7 p.m. on Friday and Notre Dame at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Notes:
With the win
- Clemson improved to 36-17 all-time against the Demon Deacons and has won four in a row in the series.
- Clemson has won six matches in a row. This is Clemson’s first six-match winning streak since the first six matches of the 2014 season.
- Clemson is 2-0 in ACC play for the first time since 2011 and did so on the road for the first time since 2007.
Player Notes:
- Ani Clark set new career highs in kills (12) and digs (4). She hit .625 overall with her 12 kills coming on just 16 attempts, with two errors.
- Camryn Hannah had a season-best 20 kills in the match, while also hitting .471. It was the seventh match of her career with 20 or more kills, and her best hitting percentage in those efforts.
- Cate Long set a new season-high and tied her career-high with 15 kills.
- Devan Taylor finished tied her career-high with 20 digs and has been in double-figures in 12 of 13 matches this season.
- The Tigers had four different players finish with double-figures in kills in a single match for the first time this season – Hannah, Long, Clark and Martin.
- Junior setter Mckenna Slavik tied her career high with 52 assists, and in doing so passed Stephanie Haskell (2001-04) for 7th on the all-time Clemson career assist list, upping her career total to 2,183.
