SU Heads South To Clemson, Georgia Tech

WEEKEND PREVIEW: CLEMSON AND GEORGIA TECH
Game Details	Friday, Nov. 22 - at Clemson - 7 p.m. \| Jervy Gym Sunday, Nov. 24 - at Georgia Tech - 1 p.m. \| O'Keefe Gym
Web Stream	Clemson \| Georgia Tech
Live Stats	Clemson \| Georgia Tech
Game Coverage	Twitter: @Cuse \| @CuseVolleyball \| Facebook: Syracuse Volleyball
#SUVB Links	Match Notes \| Roster \| Schedule \| Season Statistics \| Media Guide
Opponent Links	Clemson: Roster \| Schedule \| Stats \| Media Guide \| @ClemsonVB Georgia Tech: Roster \| Schedule \| Stats \| @GTVolleyball

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – With nine wins in the last 12 matches, the Syracuse volleyball team looks to climb over .500 for the first time this season with return trips to Clemson on Friday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. and Georgia Tech on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m.

LAST WEEK:
The Orange split a pair of weekend matches at home to maintain an even record this year. SU fell short to Pittsburgh, but redeemed themselves for a 3-1 win against Maryland. The sweep against Pittsburgh marked five straight matches the home team has lost and ended Syracuse's three-game win streak. In the contest with the Terrapins, SU enjoyed its best hitting percentage in an Atlantic Coast Conference contest this season at .323.

Junior Nicolette Serratore (23) and sophomore Silvi Uattara (24) combined for 47 of the Orange's 59 kills in the win over Maryland, a career-high for Serratore and season-best for Uattara. It was also the 11th consecutive match Uattara has smacked double-digit kills.

HANDLEY EARNS ACC WEEKLY AWARD:
Freshman setter Erica Handley collected her second ACC Freshman of the Week honors in just four weeks, announced by the conference on Monday, Nov. 18. She is only one of three players this season to repeat as ACC Freshman of the Week. In two matches, Handley averaged 10.4 assists per set to up her season average to 8.87 assists per set overall and 9.27 in the ACC. Handley also continued to be lethal on the serve, totaling five aces during the weekend, including four in the win over Maryland. She leads the team with 27 this season. Against the Terps, Handley dished out 48 assists, which is the second most in a four-setter for the Lakeville, Minn. native. She also recorded 1.86 digs per set across the two contests, good for third highest on the team. That total included an eight-dig performance versus Maryland, the second highest output of Handley's career. She also earned Freshman of the Week back on Oct. 28 after leading the Orange to a pair of victories.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION:
Clemson: After three straight ACC wins in mid-October, the Tigers have since dropped six of nine matches and now sit 13-14 overall and 7-9 in the conference – including a four set loss to Syracuse. Clemson is led by Preseason All-ACC selection Mo Simmons, who won the conference's Player of the Week award back on Oct. 14. Her 4.51 kills per set ranks first in the ACC and 15th nationally. Recently, Simmons became the seventh player in Clemson history to amass 1,000 career kills and digs. Leah Perri is one of the top rookie outside hitters in the league, having earned Freshman of the Week twice this year. Perri is tops on the team with a .294 hitting percentage and second with 2.44 kills per set. Coming in at second in the conference and 40th nationally in blocks is Beta Dumancic, with 1.29 blocks per set.

Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets (10-18, 4-12 ACC) finally seem to be hitting their stride in ACC-play, having gone 3-4 since a six game losing skid. Two of those four losses have come at the hands of nationally ranked foes. Georgia Tech is getting 3.18 kills per set from Jennifer Percy and 1.98 from Chanell Clark Bibbs. Quinn Evans leads the team with a .292 hitting percentage along with 1.08 blocks per set.

BUILDING BLOCKS:
Redshirt junior Lindsay McCabe's 129 total blocks and 113 block assists in 2013 has propelled her into the program's top-10 all-time list for both categories. She is sixth all-time with 420 career blocks and 359 career block assists. The 420 career blocks is also 23rd among active Division I players. For the season, McCabe is averaging 1.26 blocks per set, which ranks 53rd in the nation and fifth in the ACC. In conference-play, McCabe's 1.47 blocks per set is second among individuals and a career-best 12 blocks at Virginia is the fourth highest output of the season by an ACC player. The redshirt junior is also closing in on the top-10 for solo blocks. She currently has 61 and needs one more to move into the all-time list.

SERIES HISTORY:
After defeating the Tigers this season on Oct. 27 in four sets, SU now holds the 2-1 edge in the all-time series. The teams split the first two decisions, a Syracuse sweep in 1990 followed by Clemson victory in 2008. In last month's match, three Orange women posted double-doubles, Uattara (18 kills, 11 digs), Serratore (14, 10) and redshirt freshman Valeriya Shaipova (16, 14) while Handley passed out 55 assists on her way to winning ACC Freshman of the Week.

Syracuse swept the Yellow Jackets in straight sets earlier this season on Oct. 25. It was only the second time the two teams met, with SU also sweeping the first match on a neutral court in 1989. The Orange defense was on display in the first game this year with McCabe recording nine blocks and junior Melina Violas with 16 digs.

UP NEXT:
The Orange closes out its home schedule when Boston College comes to town on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 1 p.m.

Syracuse University Athletics

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