Clemson Defeats Virginia in Four

Clemson Defeats Virginia in Four Sets

The Tigers (14-10, 2-10 ACC) started slow, dropping the opening set against the Virginia Cavaliers (10-12, 3-9 ACC). However, Clemson rallied to win the next three sets and secured a 3-1 victory on the road in Charlottesville with scores 22-25, 25-20, 25-19, and 28-26.

Match Highlights

Junior transfer Khaya Gordon led Clemson with 16 kills.
Mia McGrath and Mia Moore contributed 13 and 12 kills, respectively.
Virginia jumped to an early five-point lead in the first set.
Clemson narrowed the gap to two points with kills by Gordon, Moore, and McGrath.
Virginia regained a five-point advantage near the media timeout.
Claire Luoma’s ace and a kill by Nil Okur brought Clemson within one point.
Despite Clemson's efforts, Virginia took the first set 25-22.

Second Set Comeback

Clemson opened the second set strong, scoring three immediate points from kills by McGrath and Gordon and a solo block by Kate Hansen. Defensive plays dominated as Okur added two block assists alongside Moore and Gordon, propelling the Tigers to a five-point lead and forcing Virginia’s timeout.

Clemson maintained their lead with key kills from McGrath and Okur, with McGrath sealing the set 25-20.

Momentum Into the Third Set

The Tigers continued to build momentum in the third set, stringing together important three- and four-point runs. Luoma recorded her second ace of the day to help Clemson take the lead and eventually secure the set 25-19.

Final set details were not provided, but Clemson finished the match with a 3-1 victory.

Author's Summary

Clemson overcame an early deficit by leveraging strong offensive and defensive plays to defeat Virginia 3-1 and gain momentum late in the season.

Clemson University Athletics — 2025-11-03