Hurricanes Hit the Road to Face Georgia Tech and Clemson

Nov. 3, 2005

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team embarks on a four-match road trip that begins with matches against Georgia Tech and Clemson this weekend. The Hurricanes will face the Yellow Jackets Friday at 7:00 p.m. before squaring off against Clemson at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Miami holds a 6-7 Atlantic Coast Conference record and are 11-10 overall. The Hurricanes snapped a three-match skid with a three-game sweep against Boston College on Sunday.

The Hurricanes are led by senior Karla Johnson who is sitting atop the ACC, for the ninth consecutive week, with a 5.14 kills per game. Her average also ranks her 10th in the nation.

Also contributing significantly to the offense is redshirt junior Francheska Savage and junior Jill Robinson. Savage is ranked sixth in the league with 3.88 kills per game and 10th with a team-best .295 hitting percentage. Robinson, Miami’s all-time assists leader, is ranked third with 12.63 assists per game.

Defensively, redshirt sophomore Ciara Michel is ranked eighth in the ACC with 1.19 blocks per game. She leads the team with 100 total blocks. Junior Ann Gallo has tallied a team-best 307 digs for a 3.65 digs per game average.

As a team, the Hurricanes are tied for third in the ACC with 14.47 assists per game. They are fourth in both hitting percentage (.216) and kills (15.80pg). Miami is also ranked fifth in digs (15.56pg) and sixth in blocks (2.71pg).

Georgia Tech enters weekend play with a 13-9 overall record and a 9-4 mark in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets are tied for third in the conference standings with Duke and Virginia. Georgia Tech lost two matches against Duke and Wake Forest last weekend.

In their last meeting, the Hurricanes suffered a 3-2 heartbreaking loss to the Jackets. Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 2-0.

Talisa Kellogg has been a force for the Yellow Jackets. The outside hitter has posted 312 kills for a 3.80 kills per game average that ranks her seventh in the ACC. Nikki Kaminskas is averaging a team-best 1.20 blocks per game, which also ranks her seventh in the league. Lindsay Leband leads the team, and is fifth in the ACC, with 11.70 assists per game.

Clemson (9-12, 4-9 ACC) will host Florida State on Friday before welcoming Miami the following evening. The Tigers head into the weekend having lost six-consecutive matches and eight of their past nine.

The Hurricanes claimed a 3-2 victory over the Tigers at the Knight Sports Complex in their first meeting of the season. The series between the two schools is tied, 2-2.Jeanette Abbott and Brittany Ross carry the offensive load for the Tigers as they average 4.38 and 4.05 kills per game, respectively.

Defensively, Danielle Hepburn is fifth in the ACC with 1.23 blocks per game while Anna Vallinch is also fifth in the ACC with 4.65 digs per game.

Fans can follow both matches via live scoring on the Official Home of Hurricane Athletics, www.hurricanesports.com.