Clemson and Duke Head to NCAA Volleyball Tournament
Tigers and Blue Devils each will host games in NCAA first round.
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Ali Hausfeld and the No. 24 Duke Blue Devils host Patriot League champion American at 5 p.m. Friday in the first round of the 2007 NCAA volleyball tournament.

Ali Hausfeld and the No. 24 Duke Blue Devils host Patriot League champion American at 5 p.m. Friday in the first round of the 2007 NCAA volleyball tournament.

Nov. 26, 2007

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Clemson and Duke, the Atlantic Coast Conference's first- and second-place teams, respectively, were each awarded berths in the NCAA postseason volleyball tournament for their play in 2007. For Clemson, this marks the sixth-ever appearance in the national tournament, while Duke makes its 13th appearance in school history and third in a row.

The Tigers, who earned the league's automatic bid by winning the regular-season championship, will take a 28-3 overall record into the tournament. During the regular season, Clemson went 21-1 in conference play, with a 7-2 record out of conference, and was 2-0 against ranked opponents. The Tigers, ranked 25th in the latest CSTV/AVCA Coaches Poll, are led by middle hitters Danielle Hepburn and Meghan Steiner, who each rank in the league's top five in hitting percentage. Clemson will open NCAA action at home Friday, Nov. 30, at 7:00 p.m. against Alabama. Should they advance to round two, the Tigers will face either No. 10 UCLA or Alabama A&M on Saturday.

Duke, which currently occupies the No. 24 spot in the latest national poll, went 24-6 in the regular season. With a 19-3 record in conference play, the Blue Devils finished second in the ACC. Led by seniors Ali Hausfeld, who led the conference in assists during the season, and Carrie DeMange, who ranked first in kills and points per game, the Blue Devils will look to advance to the tournament's second round for the third-straight year. In its first-round game Friday at 5:00 p.m., Duke will play host to Patriot League-champion American. The winner will face either No. 7 Cal or Liberty in Saturday's second-round match.

Winners of the Clemson and Duke four-team brackets will advance to the NCAA Tournament Regionals, which will be played on Dec. 7-8. The pre-determined regional sites are University Park, Pa.; Madison, Wisc.; Gainesville, Florida; and Stanford, Calif. The regional winners will advance to the semifinals and final, hosted by California State University at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. on Dec. 13 and 15.