We Gnomes should be ashamed! Here we are in the midst of football season, scavenging the endless “tubes” that make up the internet to find all we can about our football miss-steps, and we have forgotten why we do what we do. All Clemson sports are important and we have lost sight of that. Some of you may not realize this, so I will take it upon myself to educate all of you, our volleyball team KICKS ASS!!! The nationally ranked Tigers (#24-#1 in the ACC), not bad considering nearly EVERY school in the nation has a women’s volleyball team, has won 17 straight matches! The Tigers’ record is currently 21-2, 14-0 in ACC play. These girls are freakin awesome, not to mention they all stand at least 57 apples higher than Clem and Broken, combined. They have set program records for consecutive victories and Leslie Mansfield, the team co-captain, achieved her 1,000th career dig as a Tiger. The team this year alone has racked up 1,331 kills and bolstered 3,273 attacks. Did I mention that these girls are awesome? Keep on moving ladies, I’m sure glad I will never have to stand opposite net to y’all, I’d be one squashed gnome…

Yes, we are a bunch of football junkies at Gnome HQ, we admit it. After the big win, in Tally, at night, on ESPN (I thought this was the perfect storm brewing against us based on recent trends) but it’s time to give some of the other sports their respected attention.

When I say attention, I really mean hellacious props. The Mens Soccer team is off to an 8-0 start, their best since 1978 (yes better than those two National Champion teams of the ‘80’s) and look to continue to roll against the Wolfpack in conference play this Sunday in Raleigh. The team’s number 1 overall ranking in the Soccer Coaches Poll is the 30^th such ranking for the team but the first since 1998. The Tigers are ranked second in the Soccer America poll. The win over #5 UNC helped launch the team to their current ranking, after beating a highly touted Maryland team two weeks ago.

The golf team opened the year at #4 and didn’t disappoint in their first outing. Playing in the Carpet Classic in Dalton GA this past weekend, the Tiger Golf team took a second place finish in a field featuring 8 of the top 17 teams in the nation. The team took a 4 stroke lead into Sunday’s play before finishing 6 back of Alabama for the title. The team was anchored by two freshmen, Ben Martin and Kyle Stanley who took 3^rd and 11^th respectively on an individual level. Martin’s 64 on Saturday was a team freshmen record. They will back in action the first week in October in Williamsburg Va.

The women’s soccer team is off to a decent start as well at 4-2 with a heartbreaking loss to USuCk in Columbia last Friday night, 1-0. They took the Carolina’s Cup played in Greenville SC earlier this month. Other participants in the tourney were Charlotte and Furman. On the road the week prior, the team took losses to Colorado and Denver at the Colorado Invitational on a quick Rocky Mountain swing. The Lady Tiger’s crank up ACC play this week with Maryland on the road as they start a brutal conference schedule with about half the games away from the friendly confines of Riggs field.

Tiger volleyball is back on track. A home tourney always helps. After having some struggles in Indiana, the Tigers have been hot since returning home, with their only loss in the last four matches being to USuCk. They hit the road this weekend with matches at Duke and Wake while the football crowd takes over campus. Unofficial gnomette Jeanette Abbott has continued to lead the team in kills. Good luck ladies. These gnomes enjoy watching…seriously, we do!

The rowing team kicked off the fall season with a 4 and 8 person boat sweeps of the Tail of the Tiger. The event was more of a warm-up as they were competing against the Clemson and UGA club squads. Watch for the on the lake Sunday as they hold the annual class day regatta on Lake Hartwell.

For most Clemson fall sports, this weekend marks the beginning of their seasons. On the Soccer field the men’s team opens at USuCk Friday night at 7. The women host UAB at Riggs field at 7 that same evening. Both squads are lead my pre-season All Americans at goalie.
The previsouly mentioned volleyball team open s in the Mortar Board Invitational tourney hosted by Purdue U. in Indiana. The teams opens against Bradley U at 5 on Friday and will play a round robin tourney over the weekend.
The golf team will open their season on September 15 in Dalton Ga. They will play 5 tournaments in the fall and additional 5 this spring for their season.
The women’s crew/rowing team hits the water the same weekend the golf team hits the links for thier first competition of the season. Their first two events are on the friendly confines of Lake Hartwell before they begin traveling the east coast for their other 3 events.

In the past we have been accused, and rightly so, of not doing enough to cover women’s athletics at Clemson. Unfortunately, there just isn’t a lot of media coverage for the ladies, and since none of the gnomes live in Clemson, the material is stretched a bit thin. Although this should not be the case. Unlike the WNBA, for example, Clemson womens’ sports have sex appeal. Which brings us to this year’s volleyball outlook and our first attempt to right our wrong ways.

Pictured on the left (thanks Facebook) is All-ACC freshman outside hitter Jeanette Abbott. Did I mention that she’s listed at 6-feet tall and intimidating as hell to an 11″ garden gnome (10″ without the hat)? But intimidation and being shorter than the highest strap on her heels aside, there is no reason to neglect the team’s upside this year.

The 2006 Clemson volleyball team will have a similar, yet also fresh, appearance. The team will look familiar on the court, as five starters and libero Anna Vallinch return, but the view on the sidelines will differ with first-year assistant coaches Jing (Jason) Hou and Korrinn Krog instructing alongside 14th-year head coach Jolene Jordan Hoover.

The Tigers have been considered a young team for the past two years but will have a core group of sophomores and juniors back in 2006 that have set higher expectations for themselves. With a grueling conference schedule, Hoover and her staff are placing an emphasis on winning matches at home.

“We have a great, intimate environment in Jervey Gym,” said Hoover. “If we can use that to our advantage and take care of the matches at home, we are half-way there.”

The Tigers’ home facility has become a difficult place for the opposition as fans pack the seats for every match. Last season, Clemson ranked 32nd nationally in attendance as it drew an average of over 1,000 fans for its 15 home matches.

I don’t know what the volleyball equivalent of “spot the damn ball” is, but I want to find out pronto!

This is the first post of The Sporting Gnomes. This will be mainly focused on Clemson sports news but will venture into other sporting venues as conversation sees fit. Check back frequently for entries from our gnomes in the field. Currently we have agents in SC, NC and VA. Thanks for checking in!