The Virginia volleyball team opened up ACC play with a rare victory over Duke and a loss against Wake Forest Friday and Saturday night in Durham and Winston-Salem, N.C. The Cavaliers downed the Blue Devils, 3-1 (25-17, 25-17, 21-25, 25-23), behind freshman middle hitter Anna Walsh’s career-high 18 kills before falling to the Demon Deacons in five tough sets.
Virginia (9-4, 1-1 ACC) came into Friday night’s match winless in its past 17 meetings with Duke (6-6, 1-1 ACC) and without a victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 2003. But the Cavaliers jumped out to a two-set lead and held on for the four-set win.
Aside from Walsh — who added a career-high-tying five blocks — senior outside hitter Kayla Sears, senior middle hitter Natalie Bausback and junior outside hitter Haley Kole also tallied double-digit kills for Virginia. Senior setter Lauren Fuller racked up 49 assists and 12 digs for her first double-double of the season, and junior defensive specialist Lexi Riccolo came up with 24 digs.
A block from Walsh and Fuller at 24-23 in the fourth set wrapped up the match in the Cavaliers’ favor.
Down two sets against Wake Forest (9-5, 1-1 ACC) Saturday night at Reynolds Gymnasium, Virginia rallied. But the Demon Deacons claimed four of the match’s last five points for a 3-2 (25-19, 25-23, 24-26, 18-25, 11-15) win.
Bausback posted a season-high 19 kills for the Cavaliers while also racking up nine digs and seven blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Kylie Long and senior middle blocker Matalee Reed starred for Wake Forest, with Long recording a 19-kill, 11-dig double-double and Reed smacking 20 kills on a .516 attack percentage.
Virginia takes on Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech Friday and Saturday at Memorial Gymnasium. The Cavaliers tussle with the Panthers at 7 p.m. Friday and face off against the Hokies 24 hours later.
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