2008 Woodie Awards
Lady Tigers are clear favorite this season
Volleyball team chosen as preseason favorite in the ACC.
By: Andrew Baker
Issue date: 8/29/08 Section: Sports
Picked to finish fourth in the ACC a year ago, the volleyball team exceeded expectations and dominated the conference in route to the ACC title and an NCAA tournament berth. This season, they hope to repeat that feat, but face higher expectations. In the ACC preseason poll, the Tigers were picked to finish first and had the most players on the preseason All-ACC teams.
Going into the season, four of the starters, Jeanette Abbott, Didem Ege, Danielle Hepburn and Kelsey Murphy, were named preseason all-ACC. Ege, one of the top defensive players in the conference is on pace to break the Clemson record for career defensive saves this season. The other returning starter junior Lia Proctor started 32 games in 2007 and tallied 17 kills against Alabama in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Aside from the returning starters, a group of talented young players are ready to contribute. "It's pretty competitive," said Coach Jolene Jordan Hoover about the fight for playing time. However, the coach mentioned that she won't know until close to Friday's opener who all of her starters are, aside from the returning five.
Also competitive, according to Hoover, was the team's off-season work-ethic. Hoover said that the team has been working with the strength coach Dennis Love.
Once the season starts, the competition within the conference and in several tournaments will be stiff. In conference, Georgia Tech and Duke won 20 games last season and are projected to finish in the top three of the conference again. By playing non-conference teams in tournaments, the Tigers hope to increase their strength of schedule to make them more appealing to the NCAA selection committee.
The Tigers will host two tournaments at Jervey Gym, including the Big Orange Bash this weekend featuring Syracuse, Florida International and Charleston Southern. In the South Carolina tournament in Columbia, Clemson will face South Carolina in a televised game on Sept. 12.
Conference play opens Sept. 18 versus Georgia Tech. Their next game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Nov. 28, the last game of the season could decide the ACC championship.
If Clemson wins the ACC again and goes the NCAA tournament, this will be the only repeat ACC championship and the only repeat trip to the NCAA tournament in Clemson volleyball history.
The Tigers open tonight at 7 p.m. at the Jervey Gym against Syracuse.
Going into the season, four of the starters, Jeanette Abbott, Didem Ege, Danielle Hepburn and Kelsey Murphy, were named preseason all-ACC. Ege, one of the top defensive players in the conference is on pace to break the Clemson record for career defensive saves this season. The other returning starter junior Lia Proctor started 32 games in 2007 and tallied 17 kills against Alabama in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Aside from the returning starters, a group of talented young players are ready to contribute. "It's pretty competitive," said Coach Jolene Jordan Hoover about the fight for playing time. However, the coach mentioned that she won't know until close to Friday's opener who all of her starters are, aside from the returning five.
Also competitive, according to Hoover, was the team's off-season work-ethic. Hoover said that the team has been working with the strength coach Dennis Love.
Once the season starts, the competition within the conference and in several tournaments will be stiff. In conference, Georgia Tech and Duke won 20 games last season and are projected to finish in the top three of the conference again. By playing non-conference teams in tournaments, the Tigers hope to increase their strength of schedule to make them more appealing to the NCAA selection committee.
The Tigers will host two tournaments at Jervey Gym, including the Big Orange Bash this weekend featuring Syracuse, Florida International and Charleston Southern. In the South Carolina tournament in Columbia, Clemson will face South Carolina in a televised game on Sept. 12.
Conference play opens Sept. 18 versus Georgia Tech. Their next game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Nov. 28, the last game of the season could decide the ACC championship.
If Clemson wins the ACC again and goes the NCAA tournament, this will be the only repeat ACC championship and the only repeat trip to the NCAA tournament in Clemson volleyball history.
The Tigers open tonight at 7 p.m. at the Jervey Gym against Syracuse.
Be the first to comment on this story