2015 was a tough year for the Clemson Tigers volleyball team. Going 6-26 overall and 1-19 in conference play, the Tigers were last in the ACC and clearly trying to find themselves on the court.
With a young team and a first-year head coach in Hugh Hernesman, it is understandable the Tigers were undergoing a rebuilding phase of sorts this past season. Last month, Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich told the media that the volleyball team “is continuing to build,” and, while he was right in saying so, the team is moving along a lot faster than many anticipated.
With only two seniors, outside hitters Sydney Moseley and Leah Perri, the team is still very young but has shown plenty of promise through the early portion of this season.
Thus far, the Tigers have participated in four tournaments: the Big Orange Bash in Clemson, the Carolina Classic in Columbia, the Clemson Classic in Clemson and the Penn State Tournament in State College. Going 5-7 during that stretch, the Tigers have already proved that they have undergone major improvements since the end of last season.
Leading the charge with 198 kills, Perri is a valiant leader for the Tigers and is teaming up with fellow outside hitter Kailey Harvell, a sophomore, to form a formidable combination at the net for Clemson. Boasting plenty of burgeoning talent, the future is bright for Clemson volleyball.
As for Perri, the star senior is a reigning National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) All-American and a stellar talent. Named to three of the All-Tournament teams in tournaments that the Tigers have participated in thus far this season, Perri is already off to an amazing start to her senior year. Moseley is a versatile talent herself. She recently served as a libero for the Tigers and collected digs left and right, an impressive feat for someone of Moseley’s 6’0” height.
With conference play beginning this past Friday, the crux of the volleyball season is here, and Clemson will be looking to turn heads in conference play. The ACC is one of the nation’s premier volleyball conferences, so the Tigers definitely have their work cut out for them.
With two road games to begin the conference slate (at Virginia Tech on the 23rd and at Pittsburgh on the 25th), the Tigers are facing adversity from the get-go, but they seem primed to improve as the season goes along, and they could very well send shockwaves through the college volleyball landscape by the end of the regular season. Stay tuned.