Clemson volleyball has had a rocky start to its ACC play, facing three ranked teams in as many games. Most recently, the Tigers traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, to face the No. 4-ranked Cardinals, falling in a complete sweep and landing at 0-3 in the ACC.
Clemson struggled in the first set, scoring only 13 points against Louisville. As a team, the Tigers were hitting 0.000 with six kills and six errors in the set. Freshman Neea-Maria Joki led the team in the set with three kills and two aces, but it was a slow start for Clemson against a top opponent.
Although the Tigers fell short in the second set, 25-22, the team picked up its momentum with 10 kills and an ace. The Cardinals put up a strong block, forcing seven attack errors. Their libero, Elena Scott, dug six of those hits by the Tigers. With 10 lead changes in the set, Clemson kept up with a strong Louisville team but could not finish the set on top.
The Cardinals stayed strong in the third set, holding Clemson to 17 points. Joki and junior Mia McGrath each had three kills for Clemson; McGrath also had six digs in the set, along with senior Devan Taylor, who moved up to second in all-time career digs at Clemson.
Louisville was able to sweep Clemson in its home gym, and the Tigers will look to turn their ACC record around in the upcoming games.
The Tigers will travel to South Bend, Indiana, to face off against Notre Dame on Sunday, Oct. 5, at 1 p.m. and will be back home in Jervey Gym on Friday, Oct. 11, to face Virginia at 7 p.m.
