Finish strong.
This is the Virginia volleyball team motto for the second half of the season, and it is something the team has put into practice the past two weekends.
Now on a three-match winning streak, the Cavaliers overcame a rocky first set against Maryland in Friday night’s match to win 3-1 (17-25, 26-24, 25-18, 25-22) and followed that with a Saturday evening 3-0 sweep of Boston College (25-14, 25-19, 25-18).
Friday night against Maryland (6-23, 2-15 ACC), the Cavaliers (16-13, 8-9 ACC) took control of the game after the first set and refused to relent to the Terrapins’ pushes to regain control. In the victory against Boston College (7-22, 1-16 ACC), Virginia was even more dominant from beginning to end, only allowing three Eagles a positive hitting percentage.
“We had our moments when we let them back in the match with our unforced passing errors,” Virginia coach Lee Maes said of the Boston College match. “It came down to us really converting transition opportunities that they gave us, because they weren’t ball-handling as well as we were.”
Senior outside hitter Beth Shelton led the team in kills for both matches with 17 against the Terrapins and 12 against the Eagles. Her .444 hitting percentage and four service aces also led Virginia’s starters.
“We were able to distribute the ball really well [Saturday],” Shelton said. “We kept them guessing, which makes it easier for us to pass in the front row.”
Maes, who called Saturday’s match “one of those serve-and-pass battles,” said solid production from the team’s hitters comes from consistent passing and ball control. Shelton reiterated this, refusing to take too much credit for her numbers.
“I can’t do it without two other people touching the ball before me,” Shelton said. “I think the control, consistency, keeping them guessing, is what really helps us put up numbers like that.”
Shelton was not the only player who served well; the team hit 10 aces to the Eagles’ three in Saturday’s match.
“We have this saying at practice: pace and location. It’s putting the ball with some pace at a location,” Shelton said about the team’s serving. “I don’t know how many ball-handling errors they had [Saturday], but we give it to the same person and force her to pass. It keeps them out of their system and helps our system.”
Shelton appears to be making the most of her final matches at home; only a Nov. 28 match against Virginia Tech remains for her and two fellow seniors. Shelton refuses to let her final season as a Cavalier end with a whimper.
“Beth does a really nice job of understanding that we just need her to be efficient,” Maes said. “If she’s efficient, that will allow her to continue doing a lot of positive things.”
Shelton knows the Cavaliers’ only chance to play for a championship relies on convincing the NCAA selection committee to give the team an at-large bid.
This situation brings Shelton back to the team’s motto.
“I think this is really good, ending on a high note for us,” Shelton said. “It’s been kind of a struggle for us during the season, maybe been up and down. But finishing strong — the NCAA [selection committee] always takes a look at that if we have a chance.”
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