The Virginia volleyball team’s match with Virginia Tech Friday was one that Virginia’s coaches and many of its players had highlighted on their calendars several weeks before. It ended as tightly contested as the teams’ previous matchup – a 3-0 Tech blowout win – had been one-sided. The Cavaliers sent out their seniors the way they wanted to, edging the Hokies 3-2 (25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 19-25, 15-12).
Despite being senior day, three younger players led the Cavaliers (17-15, 9-11 ACC). Junior outside hitter Lauren Dickson led the team in kills (14), sophomore right-side hitter Kendahl Voelker had the team’s best hitting percentage (.333) and junior defensive specialist Brittani Rendina notched 25 digs.
Perhaps more important than any statistical contribution, though, was the emotion of the night. In a brief pregame ceremony, the three seniors — outside hitter Beth Shelton, middle Shannon Davis and setter Marlow Bruneau — were introduced, along with their parents, to the crowd.
Tears ran down Shelton’s face, but once the game started, it was down to business. The play was not perfect for the Cavaliers, but the energy of senior night was enough to keep the team going.
“Not our prettiest, but I’ll take it,” Shelton said.
Virginia coach Lee Maes noted the importance of the evening for the athletes, but said the win had more to do with technical factors of the game than emotion.
The match was “another one of those serve-and-pass-fests,” Maes said.
The Cavaliers came out strong, winning the first two sets by 4 points each. In these sets, the Cavaliers hit .258 and .222, respectively. After that, though, things began falling apart.
“We didn’t step it up in [sets] three and four like we wanted to,” Davis said.
The next two sets saw the Cavaliers struggle, especially in set three when the team’s hitting percentage dipped to .065. The Hokies (20-11, 11-9 ACC) won the fourth set to tie the match up at 2-2.
At the beginning of the fifth and final set, the Cavaliers struck first and never lost the lead, ultimately topping Tech 15-12.
The final point came when Bruneau set the ball over the net, and the Hokies failed to return it, which was not exactly how the play was drawn up. Bruneau, whose primary role is feeding the ball to hitters, said she meant to pass the ball to Davis and give her fellow senior a chance to win the game. A momentary mental lapse had her misfiring the ball so it went over the net.
“Shannon [Davis] was in the front row, and so was Lauren [Dickson],” Bruneau said. “I dinked it, and it just happened to score.”
It was enough for the Cavaliers to finish off the match and overcome four Hokies landing double digits in kills, along with Virginia Tech freshman setter Erin Leaser putting up a 52-assist performance.
The Cavaliers’ improved level of play from their previous two games left Bruneau feeling a little bit disappointed that the team had not been more consistent throughout the season, she said. She complimented the other seniors for keeping the team together during the season, though.
“I think Shannon [Davis] and Beth [Shelton] really stepped up and played with a lot of heart,” Bruneau said.
Shelton noted that getting the team to work as a unit was one of her main goals for the match
“Part of our struggle this year has been leadership and urgency,” Shelton said. “I was really trying to elicit responses from people.”
Shelton, who just finished her fifth year with the team, became the team’s dominant offensive force in the season’s final weeks. She hit double-digit kills in seven of the team’s last eight matches.
“I’m excited to see where we’re going,” Shelton said. “I’m sad I’m leaving.”
On a night full of emotion and reflection, Davis, who served as the team’s captain, said she had not really processed that her career as a student-athlete was about to be over.
“I thought I was going to be bawling-crying,” Davis said. “I’m sort of outside myself right now.”
Each of the seniors said she was happy with the evening’s positive final note, both with the warmth of the crowd and with the team’s performance. In fact, the team played so well in the final match of the season that Bruneau offered a piece of advice for the team’s underclassmen.
“Always play every game like it’s your last one,” she said.
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