Saturday night at Memorial Gymnasium, the season came to a bittersweet end for the Virginia volleyball team.
Down two games to one as the evening match stretched into the night, the Cavaliers found themselves tied with the Yellow Jackets at 28 -- two points away from forcing a deciding fifth game.
The atmosphere was tense, to say the least. As parents, students and the entire bench held their collective breath, Georgia Tech freshman Talisa Kellogg slammed down the final kill, winning the match 3-1 and shutting the door on Virginia's hope of a comeback.
Throughout the entire night, the Cavaliers' most vocal supporters were yelling their lungs out from the bench. Lisa Krolikowski and Kristin Chaney, two seniors playing their last match in Charlottesville, were joined by their parents before the opening whistle and congratulated by coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton.
Krolikowski, an outside hitter from Hales Corners, Wis., said afterwards that even a season-ending disappointment couldn't take away from her experience being part of the team.
"I've had a great time over the past four years," Krolikowski said. "The entire team is like a family, and I couldn't ask for anything more. Obviously, it was a disappointing loss today, but it was an awesome season. We played our hearts out every game, and we all became so close this year. I'm going to miss it."
Chaney, Virginia's other senior, was injured early in the season, but remained one of the team's leaders from the sideline.
"What the public doesn't realize is how much Kristin was, and in many ways still is, our emotional leader," Shelton said.
On the court against the Yellow Jackets, even the senior leadership couldn't put the Cavaliers over the top. Despite notching more kills, assists, digs and points than Georgia Tech, Virginia's defensive mistakes combined with solid Yellow Jacket blocking kept the Cavaliers trailing for most of the night.
"Our passing wasn't quite on point, and our defense was a little off too, so I think that hurt us in the long run," Krolikowski said.
Throughout the deciding fourth game, every point became a full-out battle. Several times down the stretch, the Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets dragged out long rallies in a brawl for precious points and momentum. After taking the lead on a huge block by Katie Oakes and Emily Kirkwood, Virginia struggled to finish strong, dropping the last few points and the match.
Even after a disappointing loss, Shelton emphasized that finishing with a 20-11 record (15-7 ACC) was still something to be proud of.
"We had a great season," Shelton said. "It's very hard not to be disappointed now with the way we played tonight, but it's important to take a step back and look at the season and know that we had a great year."
After a fourth-place ACC finish, the Cavaliers' future looks pretty bright. The team will return its entire starting lineup and most key bench players. Though senior night might not have ended like they wanted it to, Krolikowski and Chaney can breath easier knowing the team is in good hands.
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