After last weekend's second place finish at the University of Louisville Courtyard by Marriot Tournament, the Virginia volleyball team hopes to continue its winning ways when the Cavaliers host in-state rival Virginia Commonwealth University tonight. The game marks the beginning of a five-match homestand for the team and is set to start at 7 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium.
The Cavaliers enter tonight's contest with a 3-1 record, while the Rams have a record of 1-2. Cavalier coach Melissa Shelton said she was satisfied with the team's performance at the tournament.
"I am pleased with where we are right now being that it is only the second week of the season," Shelton said. "But we have many things we need to work on if we want to compete in the ACC."
The Louisville tournament should serve as good preparation for the upcoming VCU game, as Virginia played against the No. 23 Louisville Cardinals. Even though the Cavaliers were defeated by the Cardinals, co-captain Kristin Cheney said the experience was invaluable.
"It really prepares you for ACC play as we have several teams in the top 25 in the ACC," Cheney said. "Playing against Louisville will get us ready for those highly competitive matches."
As the Cavaliers plan for their matchup with VCU, they can expect a large contribution from freshman outside hitter Sarah Kirkwood. The Louisville tournament was a coming out party of sorts for the freshman from Tampa, Fla. Kirkwood led the team in kills for the tournament and was named ACC Volleyball Player of the Week on Monday, the first Cavalier to receive such an honor since the 2000 season.
Although Kirkwood was named Player of the Week, she said she realizes it will take some time to fully adjust to the college game.
"I still have a lot to learn and a lot of room for improvement before we begin ACC play," she said.
Kirkwood, who also received All-Tournament honors, was joined by fellow freshman Melissa Caldwell on the All-Tournament team.
Tonight's game against VCU could be a closely fought battle, as the Rams present a unique challenge for the Cavaliers.
"VCU has many international players and we need to prepare for many different types of shots that we may not normally see as VCU doesn't play the same type of volleyball we are used to in the ACC," Cheney said.
Although VCU's style of play is unique, Cheney said the team cannot be overly worried about their opponents' game.
"It's more about us than them," she said. "We need to stay focused the whole time and play our game to be successful."
Shelton said her team has been making strides during practice as the Cavaliers have worked to improve on blocking, serving and balancing their offense.
Tonight's game is important for the Cavaliers because the ACC season is rapidly approaching. The volleyball team hopes to avoid the struggles it faced last season. After beginning the season with wins in their first 16 games against all non-conference opponents, the Cavaliers finished with a record of 8-8 in the ACC.
With the additions of two All-Tournament performers, tonight's game could provide a sign of what is to come for the rest of the season.
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