Nov. 28, 2008
ATLANTA – Jeannette Abbott and Danielle Hepburn posted 18 kills apiece to lead Clemson back from an 0-2 deficit for a 3-2 (18-25, 25-27, 25-21, 25-11, 15-6) win over Georgia Tech Friday afternoon at O’Keefe Gym. With the victory, the Tigers improved to 22-9 on the season and 14-6 in the ACC, while Tech fell to 20-10 and 12-8 in league play.
Abbott logged four of her 18 kills on five attempts in the fifth set and the Clemson blockers notched three total blocks in the frame to cruise to the easy 15-6 win.
The Tigers had 18 total blocks in the match, a season-high for a Yellow Jacket opponent in 2008. Setter Kelsey Murphy led the way with nine total blocks, while Hepburn and Lisa Jedlicka added seven apiece.
The Jackets’ offense was led by Chrissy DeMichelis, who tied a career high with a match-best 22 kills, while Brittany Roderick and Callie Miller added 14 kills apiece. Miller led the Jackets with four block assists against the Tigers.
Leading Tech’s back row efforts was senior libero Michelle Kandell, who tallied a team-best 20 digs on the afternoon, and Alison Campbell added 12 digs against the Tigers. Allie Niekamp joined Kandell and Campbell in double figures while posting her ninth double-double of the season with 58 assists and 11 digs, while senior Stephanie Robbins posted a career-best 10 digs in the final match of her career.
DeMichelis posted seven kills and a solo block to lead Tech to a 25-18 victory in the opening set. DeMichelis posted back-to-back kills to open the match and finished the first set with a pair of kills to give the Jackets the advantage.
The Jackets took their first lead of the second set at 24-23 on a kill from Callie Miller, but a service error by Bailey Hunter tied the frame at 24-24. Following a kill from Alison Campbell, Clemson tied the set for the fifth time on an attacking error by Miller, but a block from Miller and Allie Niekamp, followed by an attacking error by Hepburn, gave the Jackets the 27-25 win.
An 8-3 run halfway through the third set helped the Tigers to a 15-11 lead, and Clemson held on for the four-point victory, 25-21, behind Abbott, who had six kills on 23 attempts in the set. The Tigers then hit a blistering .529 in the fourth set while the Jackets struggled offensively, committing 10 errors to fall, 25-11.
The Yellow Jackets will lose five players off this season’s team, all of which have had stellar careers at Georgia Tech. Callie Miller, Talisa Kellogg, Allie Niekamp, Stephanie Robbins and Michelle Kandell make up the 2008 senior class that combined for 86 wins over the last four years while setting 12 top-10 marks in school history.
–GT–
