The Virginia volleyball team served up a four-set victory against Loyola Marymount before coming up empty against Pac-12 power UCLA Friday and Saturday night in Los Angeles. The Cavaliers (1-1) racked up 56 kills to score a promising season-opening win at Gersten Pavilion — where the Lions scored 11 victories a year ago — but slowed down against the No. 20 Bruins, who won the 2011 national championship.
Virginia showcased a balanced attack against LMU (1-1), as five Cavaliers posted nine or more kills and three — senior outside hitter Kayla Sears, senior middle hitter Natalie Bausback and freshman middle hitter Anna Walsh — ended up in double figures. Senior setter Lauren Fuller facilitated the offense, dishing out 48 assists, while junior defensive specialist Lexi Riccolo paced her team with 18 digs.
Virginia and LMU battled all night long, with the final score — 24-26, 25-23, 25-22, 27-25 — narrowly favoring coach Dennis Hohenshelt’s squad. Bausback’s 10-kill, 11-dig double-double, Sears’ team-high 18 kills and sophomore outside hitter Alex Thorson’s six blocks all keyed Virginia.
The Cavaliers faced tougher sledding Saturday night at the John Wooden Center, falling 25-19, 25-21, 25-16 before an announced crowd of 765 fans. UCLA (1-1) posted 44 kills and eight blocks to Virginia’s 36 and five.
Walsh starred for Virginia, tallying 11 kills without an error for an eye-popping .647 attack percentage. Junior outside hitter Haley Kole finished with 10 kills on a night when the Cavaliers held early leads in the second and third sets but could not sustain the momentum.
Virginia comes home to Memorial Gymnasium for this weekend’s Fairfield Inn & Suites Cavalier Classic. The Cavaliers will host Virginia Commonwealth Friday at 7 p.m. before taking on Appalachian State and Iowa State Saturday at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
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