In sports, it is certainly not easy to achieve perfection. But thus far this season, the Clemson volleyball team has come pretty close.
The 15th-ranked Tigers have started the season with nine consecutive wins, and more impressively, have yet to drop a single game in any of those matches. Among the Tigers' victims so far are then-No. 16 Texas A&M and then-No. 22 Michigan State.
Tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke (4-4) looks to slow down this Tiger stampede in the Blue Devils' first ACC match of the year.
The Blue Devils will have to keep a close eye on a potent Clemson attack, spearheaded by Cindy Stern and Alison Coday. Despite having a freshman setter in Jessi Betcher, Stern and Coday have helped the Tigers more than double their opponents' hitting percentage this season.
At 6-foot-3, Stern is two inches taller than any Blue Devil starter.
"We have to control Stern to keep the match even, which is a very attainable goal," senior Dominique Philipp said. "If we can contain her on her favorite moves, then we have a great chance at maintaining control over the whole match. We need to play some really great defense and get them frustrated."
Duke will look to its seniors for offensive power. Philipp has the hot hand, having racked up 21 kills and 24 digs Saturday against Ball State, while Jami Ediger looks to remain a solid overall force on the court as well.
As if Clemson's impressive numbers were not motivation enough for the Blue Devils, the Tigers have won the last five meetings in this series. It is this fact that Philipp remembers most clearly.
"First of all, I know the upperclassmen have a real hatred toward Clemson," Philipp said. "We just want to go out and kill them. From the seniors' standpoint, we've had battles with them over the last four years and are really excited about starting this ACC season."
Of course, starting the league schedule against the conference's top team is not exactly easing into things.
"You can't determine when you play anyone in the ACC schedule," coach Jolene Nagel said. "It just happens that Clemson is picked to win the conference and is very strong this year.... We are going to do our best to find their weaknesses and pick them apart. It is an advantage for us to have them at home."
While Duke is coming off a tough five-game loss on Saturday, Clemson made short work of Furman in its last contest, allowing the Purple Paladins only six total points in the match.
The Blue Devils have used each match this season as a building block, and Nagel seems content with the progress her team has made over the last few weeks.
"Just looking at what we have accomplished in the brief time since I first met them five weeks ago, I'm really pleased with how they have continued to work hard and play together," Nagel said. "They have really pushed each other, but at the same time been supportive of each other. The team has taken some big steps."
With eight non-conference games under their belts, the Blue Devils are more than ready to begin the 1999 ACC season and put last year's 4-12 mark in the past.
"We're playing very well together right now," Philipp said. "We have really high expectations looking toward our conference schedule. We have a lot of revenge coming. We want to really challenge a lot of these teams this year and show them that we have a solid program."
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