Gaining and sustaining momentum is crucial for any team. This axiom should particularly hit home for Virginia.
Earlier in the season, the Cavaliers ran off seven consecutive wins that helped them start the season 8-1. Since then, Virginia (13-5, 3-3 ACC) has been struggling. Since the early-season streak, the best the Cavaliers have been able to do is win three matches in a row. Virginia, however, has been able to stop losses from coming in a row, as the team has suffered back-to-back defeats only once this season.
If the Cavaliers want to start a new win streak, the wins will have to come in two tough matches this weekend against conference foes on the road. Virginia will head south to face Georgia Tech tonight and Clemson tomorrow.
The Yellow Jackets (11-5, 6-0 ACC) have not lost since Sept. 9, and should be a challenge for the young Cavalier team. Georgia Tech was picked to defend last year's regular season championship in the preseason ACC poll. The Yellow Jackets have been living up to expectations so far this season. In ACC play, the so-called Ramblin' Wreck has lost only one in 19 games. In the past three weeks, a Georgia Tech player has been named ACC Player of the Week. Most recently, senior Jayme Gergen received the honor.
"We're going to have to minimize our errors and go all at it," setter Emily Kirkwood said.
Minimizing errors has not been a strong suit for the Cavaliers of late. In both of last weekend's matches, Virginia committed 31 errors.
Last year, the Yellow Jackets defeated Virginia three times, including a season-ending defeat in the ACC tournament. In last year's series, Georgia Tech never lost a single game in the three matches.
"I think we're a little better prepared to play them this year," senior co-captain Alexis Geocaris said. "We know what their offensive system is like. I think it will be a little bit more even of a match."
Clemson (11-7, 3-3 ACC) enters this weekend on a three-match winning streak. The Tigers offense should be centered on senior Leslie Finn, the ACC leader in kills per game with 5.27. Fellow senior Lori Ashton leads Clemson in hitting percentage with a mark of .329 on the year. The last time the Cavaliers faced the Tigers, Ashton had 24 kills while hitting .595.
"With Clemson, that's going to be a huge win," Kirkwood said. "If we can beat them, the ACC's going to be all messed up, so that's a key match."
An area in which the Cavaliers have had consistency lately is in spreading the offense. In the past six matches, Geocaris, Lindsay Osco and Sarah Kirkwood all have hit double digits in kills. One benefactor of the trio's play has been Emily Kirkwood, who is averaging 12.98 assists per game.
"I think offensively we have stepped up," Geocaris said. "We still need to work on our hitting percentage and lowering those errors."
This weekend, the young Virginia team will be trying to start its first winning streak in conference play. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers will be facing two teams in the midst of winning streaks. If the Cavaliers don't play well, they might leave this weekend's road trip with the wrong kind of momentum.
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