Dec. 1, 2007

Clemson Falls To UCLA, 3-1, In NCAA Volleyball Tournament

CLEMSON, S.C. - The careers of four Tiger seniors ended on Saturday night as the 20th-ranked Clemson volleyball team fell to #8-seed UCLA, 3-1 (30-19, 30-21, 19-30, 30-22), in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament at Jervey Gym.

Sue Eckman, Courtney Lawrence, Leslie Mansfield and Meghan Steiner helped lead the 2007 squad to an ACC Championship and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999. The team made its mark in the Clemson annuals, setting numerous records along the way and finishing with a 29-4 overall record.

However, the experience and talent of the Bruin team, which reached the semifinals of the 2006 tournament, proved to be too much for the Tigers and UCLA (22-10) advanced to the Stanford regional to be held on Dec. 7-8.

"It is always tough to lose, but I am really proud of how hard we battled, " said Clemson Head Coach Jolene Jordan Hoover. "When you are down 2-0, it is pretty hard to come back on a good team like UCLA. I was impressed with how hard we kept fighting."

No. 22 Duke Falls 3-1 To No. 7 Cal In NCAA Second Round

DURHAM, N.C. - One of the best seasons in Duke volleyball history came to a close as the 22nd-ranked Blue Devils fell to No. 7 Cal, 3-1 (28-30, 31-21, 30-25, 30-17) Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils finish with a 25-7 record while Cal advances to the Sweet 16 and currently has a 24-7 record.

The loss also ends the career of one of the best classes in Duke history. Shelley Capito, Carrie DeMange, Ali Hausfeld and Jenny Shull each can leave knowing they returned Duke to one of the dominant teams in the ACC and country.

Hausfeld had 44 assists and a season-high 10 kills while hitting .391 to go along with seven digs and four blocks. DeMange had 16 kills and 12 digs in her final collegiate game while Shull finished with 14 digs, four assists and an ace.