September 3, 2003

CLEMSON OUTLASTS FURMAN 3-0

CLEMSON, South Carolina -- Clemson handed Furman its fourth consecutive 3-0 loss Wednesday night, but it was not an easy road for the Tigers.

Game one featured 18 tie scores and nine lead changes before the Tigers finally put it away 35-33. The Lady Paladins hit .259 for the game and put up four blocks, but could not overcome the attack of Lori Ashton, who hit .667 for the game with five kills on six attempts.

Game two was if possible, even closer, with 21 tie scores and nine lead changes ending in a 33-31 Clemson win. Furman and the Tigers each put up 4.0 team blocks for the game, but the Lady Paladins were outhit .267 to .067 for the game. The Furman attack finally folded in the third game as Clemson took a 30-20 decision with just six ties and five lead changes.

Furman was paced on the night by senior Amber Montague, who posted 12 kills, and Julia Fredrickson's 10 kill effort. Freshman Ally Hock totaled a team-high 15 digs, while Molly Rybak led the assists effort, with 21, and Michelle Cauldwell added 16. The Tigers were paced by Ashton's 14 kills, while Ryane Beasley and Liz Beckham each added 13.

Furman, who falls to 0-4 on the season, will open its home slate this Friday with the Holiday Inn Express Downtown Invitational at Furman. The Lady Paladins will face Gardner-Webb Friday night at 7 p.m., while East Carolina and Birmingham Southern square off at 5 p.m. Action continues on Saturday with matches at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Clemson def. Furman 3-0 (35-33, 33-31, 30-20)