Despite Clemson volleyball finishing its regular season on Nov. 25 with a 4-14 ACC record, the team has moved on to compete in the women’s National Invitational Volleyball Championship on Saturday, making a postseason appearance for the first time in four years.
Marked as their tenth postseason appearance in program history, the Tigers (13-17) will face off against Toledo (18-12) in round one of the 32-team single-elimination tournament.
The last time Clemson played in a postseason match was in 2018 in the NIVC, where the team ultimately fell in the quarterfinals after defeating Alabama A&M and Radford.
Toledo, a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), will head to the NIVC for the second straight season; 2021 was the Rockets’ first time in postseason play. Ranked No. 5 in the MAC, Toledo will pose a fair fight against the Tigers.
Thus far, Clemson boasts 1524 kills this season compared to Toledo’s 1381. Defensively, Toledo holds 2.12 blocks per set against Clemson’s 1.71.
Clemson may have more experience on the court and in tournament play, but the momentum of the Rockets’ successful season has the ability to make the Tigers fight for their postseason advancement.
Clemson’s four conference wins this season were against NC State, Boston College, Virginia and Notre Dame. While just a minor improvement from their 12-18 2021 season, the program is still trying to make improvements after a coaching staff adjustment and the addition of several new players. A postseason appearance for the first time in four years is a step in the right direction to push the Tigers into action.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, they have not gone to the NCAA tournament since 2009. Clemson is ranked No. 13 in the ACC due to its lackluster in-conference record. Five ACC schools, all of which Clemson has fallen to this season, will compete in the 64-team tournament.
Clemson and Toledo will compete on a neutral court at Liberty at 4 p.m. EST. If the Tigers are able to secure a win, Clemson will face the winner of the Liberty (23-8) and Western Carolina (18-12) match on Sunday. After four rounds of the tournament, the championship match will take place on Dec. 12 or 13.
