CLEMSON, S.C. – Redshirt freshman Katherine Sandt recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 37 assists and a career-high 23 digs, but the Clemson Tigers (8-12, 0-9 ACC) dropped a four-set match (25-21, 22-25, 20-25, 18-25) against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (12-8, 4-5 ACC) on Friday night in Jervey Gym.
Graduate transfer Indigo Young was the most efficient hitter for the Tigers on the night, hitting .294 for seven kills and six total blocks, two of which were solo blocks. Senior Azyah Dailey led the team with twelve kills, followed by freshman Neea-Maria Joki, who had ten. Senior libero Devan Taylor followed Sandt with 15 digs, while freshman Addi Rains and sophomore McKenna Gildon added 10 each.
Clemson jumped out to an early 4-2 lead in the first following a kill from Joki on the first point of the game. Dailey led the Tigers offensively with five kills and a .444 hitting percentage. Young followed with three kills to help the Tigers’ offense to a pair of four- and five-point scoring runs, respectively. Defensively, the team had 19 digs and two blocks. Clemson took set one 25-21 despite a late push from Wake Forest.
The Tigers dropped set two, 22-25, after a back-and-forth battle that saw 13 ties and four lead changes. Young picked up two kills and a solo block throughout the set, while Mia McGrath, Joki, and Kate Hansen had two kills each. Additionally, Sandt had 22 total assists on the night following the second set.
Set three was all McGrath early as the junior attacker scored three of Clemson’s first four points via kills. Clemson, however, fell behind significantly midway through the set with Wake Forest holding a six-point lead at one point. The Tigers were able to fight back to within two following back-to-back block assists from Hansen, which were part of four total blocks in the set. The team also notched an astounding 27 digs during set three but dropped the set, 25-20.
Wake Forest took an early lead again in set four. Joki notched back-to-back kills early to keep the Tigers on pace and added one more later in the set to put her in double-digits on the night. Ava Hewitt entered the match for the first time this set and picked up a solo block and notched a kill that sparked a late four-point scoring run for the Tigers bringing them within six; however, they were unable to overcome the deficit and dropped the set, 18-25.
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