Volleyball ACCtion: Friday, November 9
Clemson upsets Duke 3-1 to take season series.
Danielle Hepburn's career-high 24 kills helped lead Georgia Tech to a 3-1 upset over No. 14 Duke.

Danielle Hepburn's career-high 24 kills helped lead Georgia Tech to a 3-1 upset over No. 14 Duke.

Nov. 9, 2007

Clemson 3, Duke 1

CLEMSON, S.C. - Danielle Hepburn posted a career-high 24 kills without committing an error and also added seven block assists in leading the Clemson volleyball team to a 3-1 upset of #14 Duke on Friday night. A record-crowd of 2,200 witnessed the Tigers rebound from a loss in game one to complete a season-sweep over the Blue Devils, as Clemson won a five-game thriller in Durham earlier this year.

The Tigers now boast a 24-3 overall record and remain atop the ACC standings with a 17-1 ledger.

"Danielle was the difference tonight," Clemson Head Coach Jolene Jordan Hoover said. "Duke just couldn't defend her."

Hepburn, a junior from Miami, FL, was one of four Clemson hitters in double-figures, while senior Leslie Mansfield recorded a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs. Meghan Steiner had 16 on the night and Jeannette Abbott also added 13 kills.


North Carolina 3, Virginia 0

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Tar Heels kept up their torrid pace on Senior Night posting the fourth consecutive sweep to improve to 13-13 overall and 9-8 in the ACC with a 30-25, 30-12, 30-19 win over visiting Virginia (16-11, 11-7 ACC). Seniors Ashley Board, Bekah Brinkley and Christie Clark were all honored before the match in Carolina's second to last match in Carmichael of the 2007 season. Junior Brianna Eskola tallied a match-high 34 digs in the win and now sits just 49 digs shy of the Carolina career mark. The Tar Heels will entertain Virginia Tech at 6 p.m. on Saturday to close out their home slate.

Carolina opened the match with a 30-25 win as the Tar Heels led wire-to-wire. Christine Vaughen picked up right where she left off, after earning ACC Player of the Week honors last week, leading the team in kills with six in the opening frame. Carolina used a 4-0 run in the early going to take an 11-7 lead that it would not lose the rest of the way. Junior Stephanie Jansma was a key focal point during the run as she delivered a rare kill and teamed with Heather Brooks for one of the four Tar Heel blocks in the game. Eskola started her night out on a high note with 11 digs to frustrate the Wahoo attackers.


Florida State 3, Boston College 0

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State's volleyball team sought a rematch against Boston College inside Tully Gym and were victorious with a 3-0 (30-20, 31-29, 30-15) sweep on Lucy McDaniel Court. The night also marked a new career digs record for the Seminoles as senior libero Summer Weissing broke the 13 year-old record held by Luiza Ramos in 2004 with 14 digs against the Eagles. Weissing's career total is now 1,775, four ahead of Ramos' 1,771.

"Summer has been in the libero position since her freshman year and she's gotten better each season," head coach Todd Kress said. "She's a great kid both on and off the court. She's all about Florida State volleyball and I'm really happy for her to get the record tonight."

In the match tonight, the new record holder recorded 14 digs as the Seminoles swept the Eagles in three for the first time since 2006. Florida State improves its record to 10-7 in the ACC and 13-12 overall, while Boston College slips to 6-11 in conference and 12-15 on the season.


Maryland 3, Miami 0

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Senior outside hitter Jade Brown (Atlanta, Ga.) led three Terrapins in double figure kills with 16 as Maryland completed a season sweep of Miami, ousting the Hurricanes 3-0 (30-25, 30-23, 30-27) on the road Friday night.

Brown was joined in double figures by senior outside hitter Beth Gillming (Cincinnati, Ohio) and sophomore middle blocker Katie Usher (Vienna, Va.), who each had 10.

The Terps (16-10, 8-9) trailed 13-6 in the first game before answering with a 9-1 run to take a one-point lead, 15-14, midway through the frame. Miami (11-15, 5-12) knotted the game at 15 but never reclaimed the lead. A Gillming kill from sophomore setter Hayley Hanson (Huntington Beach, Calif.) sealed the five-point victory.

Service aces from junior libero Maggie Schmelzle (Cincinnati, Ohio) and freshman Rachel Profit (Washington, D.C.) helped the Terps grab an early 5-1 lead in the second game. The Hurricanes got to within one at 6-5, but again, the Terps pulled away, leading by a consistent margin of five or more. Brown had five kills in the frame and Usher added five of her 10 kills in the game, as well. Usher contributed Maryland's final three kills in the game. Profit added a second service ace late in the game.


Virginia Tech 3, NC State 0

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Virginia Tech volleyball team got back on a winning track with a 3-0 (30-20, 30-26, 30-19) win over NC State Friday evening. Junior Sarah Muñoz led the Hokies with her 18th career double-double, knocking down 10 kills with 12 digs.

Munoz led three players with double-digit digs, with senior Amanda Cloyd and sophomore Taylor Parrish collecting 11 each.

Offensively, freshman Felicia Willoughby and sophomore Michelle Lang each hit .500. Willoughby landed nine kills and Lang landed five, with no errors, and dished out 31 assists.


Georgia Tech 3, Wake Forest 0

ATLANTA, Ga. - Michelle Kandell posted 16 digs en route to becoming the Yellow Jackets' single-season record holder in Georgia Tech's 3-0 (30-23, 32-30, 30-18) sweep of Wake Forest Friday night at O'Keefe Gym. With the victory, the Yellow Jackets (19-9, 13-5 ACC) remain in third place in the ACC standings while Wake Forest drops to 7-20 and 4-14 in conference play.

Needing just one dig to set the new Georgia Tech record, Kandell notched 16 to push her 2007 total to 538 and is one of just five players in school history to have recorded at least 500 in a season.

Chrissy DeMichelis led the Georgia Tech offense by hitting .387 while posting 17 kills in addition to recording three total blocks on the night. Talisa Kellogg joined the sophomore in double figures, recording 14 kills, three blocks and three digs against the Deacs.