`Canes Conclude Road Stretch at Clemson, Georgia Tech

Nov. 4, 2010

Complete Match Notes in PDF Format

Coral Gables, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team gets back on the road to close-out its four-match road stretch this weekend at Clemson (Fri., Nov. 5) and Georgia Tech (Sat., Nov. 6). Times for both matches are 7 p.m., with stats provided by Game Tracker for each match.

Miami (17-7, 7-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) enters the weekend in a four-way tie for fourth place in the ACC standings alongside Florida State, Maryland and Wake Forest.

The `Canes have hit at a .248 clip over the last five matches, while hitting at a .253 mark for the season. That percentage ranks third in the league, while UM is holding opponents to a .203 hitting percentage on the campaign. Adding to that hitting percentage, the `Canes hold more than 100 kills overall than their opponents.

Junior outside hitter Lane Carico (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) leads UM in kills (322), ranking third in the conference at 3.54 kills per set. Averaging 14.05 kills per set on the year (1,279 total), Miami ranks third in the league in kills. Overall, UM has five players with 100-plus kills, including Carico and Christine Williamson (Tampa, Fla.) with 250 or more kills. Williamson is second on the squad with a personal season-high 260 kills (2.89 per set).

Redshirt junior setter Katie Gallagher (Winter Park, Fla.) sets up the UM offense with 908 assists (10.68 per set), allowing her to rank fourth in the league in that category.

The defense is sparked by freshman libero Ryan Shaffer (San Jose, Calif.) with 361 digs (4.15 per set), while Carico is just behind her with 333 (3.66 per set). As a team, UM ranks third in the league in digs, with Shaffer ranking eighth overall.

Junior middle blocker Ali Becker (Katy, Texas) has been the dominant force at the net for UM, putting down a team-high 73 blocks (67 assisted), averaging 0.91 blocks per set. Senior middle blocker Ariell Cooke (Oakland, Calif.) is second on the team with 64 blocks (0.75 per set).

Upon returning from Atlanta on Saturday, the `Canes prepare to host NC State on Fri., Nov. 12, in the first home match for UM since Oct. 24.

For more information on the University of Miami volleyball team, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Hurricanes volleyball program.

You can also keep up-to-date with all UM Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/HurricaneSports.

Quick Hits on Clemson…
Clemson (14-10, 5-8 ACC) enters the match ranked ninth nationally and tops in the conference with a 2.90 blocks per set average, using Alexa Rand for a majority of those blocks–averaging 1.54 per set.

Sandra Adeleye leads the Tigers in kills with 182 (3.31 per set), hitting at a .295 clip on the season. Behind her offensively is Serenat Yaz with 173 kills (3.15 per set). Clemson uses two setters, with the primary being Hannah Brenner, leading the Tigers with 324 assists (10.12 per set). The other setter is Lacy Hayes with 203 assists (8.83 per set).

Series against the Tigers…
Clemson owns a commanding 10-4 advantage in the series against UM. Miami claimed the first meeting between the two schools this season with a 3-1 advantage in Coral Gables, led by double-double performances from Lane Carico (19 kills, 15 digs) and Katie Gallagher (44 assists, 15 digs).

Quick Hits on Georgia Tech…
Georgia Tech comes into the weekend with a 15-10 record overall, holding an ACC mark of 8-5. Monique Mead leads the Yellow Jackets offensively with 398 kills (4.28 per set), while Bailey Hunter sits second on the team in kills with 296 (3.18 per set). Overall, Georgia Tech has five players with 100-plus kills on the campaign.

The setter for Georgia Tech is Mary Ashley Tippins with a team-best 1,012 assists (10.88 per set), while the defense is charged by libero Jordan McCullers with 363 digs (3.90 per set). Also playing well defensively for the Yellow Jackets is Mary Ashley Tippins with a team second-best 224 digs (2.41 per set).

Series against the Yellow Jackets…
The series between Miami and Georgia Tech is tied, 6-6. The Yellow Jackets took the first meeting between the two teams with a 3-2 decision in Coral Gables. Three Yellow Jackets registered double-digit kills on the night, including a match-high 22 from Mead. Carico led UM with 15 kills and 18 digs.