CLEMSON – Clemson Gymnastics won its home opener with a 195.350-195.275 victory over Pittsburgh Friday at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Clemson head coach Amy Smith described the importance of the Tigers returning to Littlejohn after opening the season with three straight road meets.

“There’s no question about fan support. We’ve got the best environment in college gymnastics,” she said.

A sold-out Littlejohn Coliseum hosted nearly 8,700 fans, which played a major role in the Tigers’ success.

“The energy on the floor is nothing I’ve ever experienced,” Smith said.

Clemson (3-3, 2-1 ACC) ultimately gained the upper hand with Clark’s 9.925 in the final routine.

“She got off to a slow start. It took her a little while to settle in,” Smith said.  “She got a Brie Clark floor routine under her belt last weekend at Cal and built off that tonight at home. To clinch to win for us is phenomenal and a huge confidence booster for her.”

It is all about trusting the process that led to Clemson’s victory on Friday night.

“What we saw in warmups tonight was a giant step in the right direction.” Smith said. “That was one of our goals tonight — to make sure we were warming up really well.

“We’re rolling into February. We’ve got time. As a coach, I just have to keep trusting the process. We’re going to peak at the right time.”

The Tigers will travel to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to take on UNC for their next meet on Feb. 9.

–photo by Ken Ruinard / USA TODAY NETWORK