Looking to rebound from last weekend's disappointing homestand and end a four-match losing streak, the Virginia volleyball team (5-8, 1-5 ACC) heads south this weekend for matches against ACC rivals Clemson and Georgia Tech.
For a young Cavalier squad that recently has failed to bring its best play from the practice court to the matches, this weekend offers opportunities both to work on consistent execution and to build confidence.
Attention in practice this week focused on hitting, as the team looks to better its current hitting average of .194. Virginia's passing game was another focus, as the team looks to improve in specific skills without falling off in other areas.
"We're trying to keep up with all our skills, but what's happening is that if we emphasize one during the week we do that very well on the weekend, but then we lose ground in other skills," Virginia coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton said. "We're trying to come up with a formula for what we should do in practice in order to keep us on top of our game in all areas. We want to keep up with some of our game and not fall behind in other areas."
The Cavaliers' relative inexperience at the collegiate level is responsible for much inconsistency. With only four upperclassmen on the roster, the team still is learning how hard it is to compete every day in the ACC.
"We are [a] really, really young [team]," Aldrich Shelton said. "Most of these teams that we are facing in the conference - if you look at their starters - have about a 1,000 games more played than we do. If you add up all the games played by the six starters for Duke, Wake, Maryland and probably Georgia Tech, you'll have about a 1,000 more games played. We're just trying to take [it one] step at a time."
With the ACC Tournament just over a month away, the Cavaliers are hoping their efforts in practice will begin to pay off in matches. Their next match will be a helpful measuring stick, as Virginia faces off against Clemson (5-9, 1-5) for sole possession of seventh place in the ACC.
Following the Tigers' first conference win - against N.C. State last Sunday - Clemson lost in four games to No. 19 South Carolina on Wednesday night. Senior right-side hitter Jodi Steffes and freshman Ryane Beasley led the Tigers with 20 kills each, while Steffes increased her average of kills per game to 4.08, good for fifth place in the ACC.
Despite Clemson's struggles this year, the Cavaliers refuse to look past the Tigers.
"It's just like everything else," senior co-captain Jenny Harmon said. "We're going to have to play our best to beat them. Every team in the ACC can win on any given night. We have to have our 'A' game ready to play or else they're going to take it to us."
Although Georgia Tech currently is in third place in the ACC, the Cavaliers refuse to be intimidated by the Yellow Jackets (8-4, 4-2). Virginia remains confident that - playing at the best of its ability - it can defeat every team in the ACC.
"Georgia Tech is an incredibly hard team to play at their home court," Harmon said. "We're definitely going to have to bring our 'A' game, and I'm hoping that we do. It's a great gym to play in because it's packed, and it's loud and it's excited. I'm excited to play, I'm ready to play them. I think we've been holding out for the last two games, so hopefully we'll bring it all this weekend"
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