Picked in the preseason to finish third in the ACC after defending champion Duke and fiercely competitive Georgia Tech, the Virginia women's volleyball team starts the 2007 season in a strong position. Coming off a second-place finish at the end of the 2006 season after posting a 23-8 overall record, 16-6 in the ACC, the Cavaliers are poised to ride the momentum into 2007.
Sarah Kirkwood and Katie Oakes return for their senior season after receiving All-Conference honors, only adding to the potential for a successful season. Outside hitter Kirkwood has been called one of the top players in the ACC. Her career highlights include an honorable mention All-American award, three first-team All-ACC awards and the distinction of being the first player in the ACC to ever accumulate 1,000 kills as a sophomore. Recently, in a match against Texas Tech (2-1, 0-0), Kirkwood set the program record for career service aces, replacing her sister Emily's previous record. These skills will undoubtedly put Kirkwood in the position to lead the team.
"Sarah does everything for us," coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton said. "You can't put a value on that."
Senior middle Oakes shared the same honorable mention All-American award as Kirkwood last year and received second-team All-ACC honors in 2006. Oakes has already set a school record for blocks per game in three years of competition. With this kind of power from the team's leaders, fluid and consistent teamwork would seem to follow.
One of the teams biggest losses from last season is the graduation of setter Emily Kirkwood.Emily holds the single match school record for assists at 81 and can be found high on other team records lists, including all-time assists, service aces and average assists per game. Finding another setter who communicates and meshes with the rest of the team as well is a difficult process, but one to which the team is adapting readily.
An NCAA Tournament berth is one of the main team goals for the season. After a disappointing narrow miss of the NCAA Tournament in 2006, the team seems to have a newfound, deeper thirst to make up for what it missed last year. At this point, the team already has one loss and two wins after the Las Vegas Tournament. Losses at this point in the season can prove valuable in exposing weaknesses before the Cavaliers begin conference play. Also, playing teams outside of the conference gives the Cavaliers a better view of the competition in the NCAA Tournament.
In the meantime, the Cavaliers will focus on utilizing this experience and growing as a team.
"We definitely have the individual talent to be successful," Kirkwood said. "We are working on establishing rhythm and flow. Those are going to be the tools to make us a threat. We really just need to get comfortable with each other, and I think we're adjusting at a good rate"
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