Virginia came away with a victory against in-state foe Virginia Tech last night after four hard-fought sets (30-19, 30-26, 27-30, 30-25), improving their record to 8-0, their best start since 1996. Virginia entered the match as favorites against the Hokies, who have won four of their seven early season matches. But the tension was still thick inside Memorial Gymnasium, as another chapter was added to this storied rivalry.
"It was very important for us to come out strong," Virginia head coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton said. "Virginia Tech was our worst loss last year, so it's sort of like a grudge match."
The atmosphere inside Mem Gym was electric, as droves of fans turned out to support the Cavaliers. Virginia did not disappoint as they delivered the win, avenging last season's embarrassing 3-0 loss in Blacksburg and improved their series record against Virginia Tech to 23-20.
"We really get up for an in-state rival," senior libero Whitney Ashcroft said. "We want to beat each team we face, but facing an in-state rival gives us more energy."
Despite having the crowd behind them and a high level of energy, it was not an easy win, as the Hokies brought a tremendous amount of skill to the court.
"I was impressed with Virginia Tech's serving," Aldrich Shelton said. "It's probably the best we've seen all year and it was great for us to rise to the challenge.î
The Cavaliers also produced some quality play, most notably from Ashcroft, who had 15 digs on the night. Freshman outside hitter Lindsay Osco also came up with a huge performance of 15 kills and 13 digs. But the strongest play came from the tandem of freshmen setters Emily Kirkwood and Kathleen Branagh.
"I was impressed with the play of our setters," Aldrich Shelton said. "The first years have learned a lot, and they're getting better every match."
The Cavaliers struggled in a few areas of their game, due in part to Virginia Tech's undeniable capability. Virginia is used to sporting a high kill percentage, but last night the Cavaliers only managed a .283 percentage. Their passing also was sub par at various points in the match. However, the Cavaliers overcame these few woes and kept an even keel throughout.
"We stepped up our hitting," Ashcroft said. "Our passing was a little shaky, but we compensated for that by staying smart."
Most importantly, Virginia seemed to stay loose, laughing on the court, keeping an air of confidence that was crucial in leading them to victory after dropping the third set by a narrow three point margin.
"We try to have a lot of fun every game," Osco said. "That's always one of our goals."
Virginia has started the season strong, reminding many of the very successful 1998 squad that lead Virginia to its first ever appearance in the NCAA Championships.
"We have more balance, more hitters and more passers," Aldrich Shelton said of this year's team compared with the 1998 squad. "And we're trying to get to the level of heart that that team had."
With last night's win Virginia put one more piece of the puzzle in place for a successful season. They hope to continue their success this weekend at a three game tournament in Lexington, Kentucky.
Read More
West Coast woes strike again as men’s basketball gets hammered by Stanford
By Emory Huffman | 6 hours agoVirginia, once again in a lost season, looked aimless on the floor.
ISTVAN: Tony Bennett left Virginia in a hole
By Ben Istvan | 14 hours agoHis decision to retire doomed this men's basketball season.
