Blink and you've missed it. In the time it takes to read this sentence, sophomore outside hitter Sarah Kirkwood has tossed the volleyball towards the rafters of Memorial Gym, leapt to meet it and fired a serve over the net with enough spin to make Roger Clemens jealous.
"Point Cavaliers: ACE," booms the announcer in what has become an all-too-common sight at Virginia volleyball games. As of this week, the Cavaliers are averaging an ACC-leading 1.95 aces per game, and no one has contributed to that total more than the high-flying Kirkwood.
"Sarah has had a lot of game consistency this season," assistant coach Jason Kozak said. "She's really taken off since we've introduced some different types of serves."
To unlock the secret of Kirkwood's success, look no further than the extensive toolbox of options the sophomore from Tampa, Fla. brings to the line.
"Coach Kozak gives us serving signals which tell us which serving zone to aim for," Kirkwood said. "There are six of them, so he calls one of the six zones of the court. My signs are a little different because he also holds up a sign for spin."
Like a pitcher taking cues from her catcher, Kirkwood not only pinpoints one of six areas on the court but also chooses from three spin options.
"I have my slice, which is the outside spin, and that's where my hand goes around the outside of the ball," Kirkwood said. "And then I have just a straight-on topspin, and then a cut shot, where you drop your thumb around the left side of the ball."
The result is devastating for opposing defenses.
"The reason why my topspin is effective is because I've been able to implement the other spins in order to throw teams for a loop," Kirkwood said. "They think it's a normal topspin and then it starts ducking off to their left or right. When I ace people, it's usually not because they're in position -- they usually have to twist off to the side [to accommodate the spin]."
Although all this might sound complicated to the average fan, Kirkwood insists the hardest part of her serve is actually the deceptively simple toss.
"Once the toss is over, it's all downhill from there," Kirkwood said. "You know if it's a good serve or a bad serve right after [the ball] leaves your hand. There are times when you throw it way too far out in front of you, and you're broad jumping over the line."
The tight confines of Memorial Gym add another twist to Kirkwood's routine. More than in any other sport, volleyball fans are right next to the action -- and inches away from the sophomore as she goes into her serving motion.
"As long as the people behind me are being nice, it's fine," Kirkwood said. "I can hear everything. It's usually U.Va kids, but sometimes [the people sitting behind me] will start heckling. It makes me wonder if I'm in the right gym."
While Kirkwood's 42 aces lead the ACC, she is joined in the top five by her sister Emily -- a player with a radically different style.
"My sister
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