After a four-match road trip, the Virginia women's volleyball team returns home for a crucial two-game series against ACC frontrunner Clemson tonight and third place Georgia Tech Sunday afternoon.
The Cavaliers (14-9, 9-5 ACC) went 2-2 during their four games away from Memorial Gymnasium, registering 3-1 victories over Wake Forest and Miami while taking two tough five-game defeats at the hands of Florida State and ACC powerhouse Duke.
The 24th-ranked Tigers (20-2, 13-0 ACC), on the other hand, come to Charlottesville on a 17-match winning streak, including a 3-0 victory over Virginia in September.
Clemson has been on a roll since it began its winning streak Sept. 14. Twelve of its 17 victories have been three-game sweeps while only Duke was able to take the Tigers to five games in a match that was played in Durham.
"They are strong at every position," Virginia coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton said. "And they are getting a lot of production from all five of their hitters, which means their setter is doing a terrific job as well. Their defense is really strong. There really is not a weakness in their lineup, so it is hard to pick something to exploit, and it's hard to slow everyone down during a match."
While Clemson has been playing well, the Cavaliers have been close to putting together a sustained winning streak. Four of Virginia's five ACC losses have come in five games, including that 3-2 defeat in Tallahassee last Saturday.
"It's tough to lose in five," senior libero Melissa Caldwell said. "But in some ways it makes you even hungrier to win, because you know you are right there with all these teams."
Once again, the Cavaliers will look for a big performance tonight from senior outside hitter Sarah Kirkwood. Kirkwood is second in the ACC in kills (4.56) and points (5.37) per game. She also is third in the conference in service aces per game (0.60).
Virginia will need a strong defensive effort to thwart a potent Clemson offense. Caldwell and senior middle Katie Oakes will look to anchor that defense. Caldwell ranks seventh in the ACC in digs (4.41) while Oakes ranks eighth in the conference in blocks (1.24).
Clemson will be led by senior middle hitter Meghan Steiner and junior middle hitter Danielle Hepburn. Steiner and Hepburn rank second and third in the ACC in hitting percentage at .401 and .389, respectively. Steiner is also fourth in the conference in blocks (1.12).
The Tigers got the best of Virginia the first time around. This is not, however, the same Cavalier squad that made the trip down to South Carolina earlier in the year.
"We have learned a lot since then," Shelton said. "When we play with a lot of heart and a huge desire to win every point, we are a really good team."
The crowd may also give Virginia an edge as tonight is "Pack Mem Gym Night," making Memorial Gymnasium an even tougher venue for the Tigers.
"Clemson is a great team," Caldwell said. "We are prepared for that. It's exciting to get them in our own gym."
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