Florida State Fights Off Clemson to Advance in the 2002 ACC Volleyball Championship
Seminoles top Tigers, 3-2; face North Carolina Saturday at 1:30 p.m.



Nov. 22, 2002

Box Score

Atlanta, Ga. - No. 4 seeded Florida State recorded a 3-2 (29-31, 30-23, 30-28, 30-32, 17-15) victory over No. 5 seeded Clemson at the 2002 ACC Volleyball Championship Friday in O'Keefe Gymnasium.

The Seminoles (20-11) advance to play the winner of the No.1 North Carolina/No. 8 Virginia match Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. Clemson falls to 17-15.

"I thought this match was one of the best matches I have ever been a part of," said Florida State head coach Todd Kress. "Both teams came out today and played tremendously and with a lot of heart. We just refused to lose."

In an up tempo first game, Clemson and Florida State traded points until a block by Clemson's Ryane Beasley and Lori Ashton finished the game at 31-29. The Tigers, led by the combined offensive play of Beasley and Ashton, accounted for 11 of Clemson's 14 kills, hitting .333. On the other side of the net, Florida State's Erica Bunch hit an impressive .455 on eight kills in 11 attempts.

The Seminoles won the second game of the match 30-23 at the net, posting ten blocks and holding the Tigers to only .088 hitting percentage. Florida State senior Alex Sevillano hit .583 with eight kills.

The third game went down to the wire with Florida State winning 30-28. The Seminoles hit .415 as a team, as Bunch notched nine kills and fellow senior Kristin Frye hit .750 with six kills and no hitting errors. Clemson's Ryane Beasley had nine kills, improving her number to a team-high 19 kills.

Clemson won an emotionally charged game four 32-30 to take the match to a deciding fifth game. The Tigers outhit the Seminoles .267 to .184 in game four. Second-team All-ACC performer Jessi Betcher dished out 15 assists in the game, bringing her match total to 54.

On a kill down the line, Florida State's Erica Bunch sealed the Seminoles' win 17-15. Florida State hit .293 in the match, with three players posting double-doubles: Kristine Frye (20 kills and 10 digs), Alex Sevillano (22 kills and 18 digs) and Erica Bunch (28 kills and 10 digs). Setter Jennifer Anderson had a match-high 87 assists.

 

 

Lori Ashton and Ryane Beasley led the Tigers with 23 kills apiece, while Jessi Betcher recorded 61 assists and a team-high 16 digs.