Virginia volleyball lost 3-1 to NC State Sunday in Raleigh, N.C., in their second ACC game this season. The Cavaliers (11-2, 1-1 ACC) were tied with the Wolfpack (6-3, 2-0 ACC) after two sets, but were unable to stop NC State from pulling ahead during the final two sets. Despite the Cavaliers’ loss, their record of 11-2 still boasts their strongest start to the season in 20 years.
Both teams entered the game 1-0 in ACC play, Virginia having beaten Wake Forest Friday in a thrilling reverse sweep and the Wolfpack having swept Virginia Tech on the same day. The first set Sunday brought an intense back-and-forth scoring match, with NC State pulling ahead 17-12 after a 3-0 unanswered run that featured two kills from junior outside hitter Courtney Bryant.
From there, the Wolfpack maintained their lead despite kills from senior middle blocker Abby Tadder and senior outside hitter Elayna Duprey. One more 3-0 scoring run from NC State led them to victory in the first set, defeating Virginia 25-16.
The second set followed the similar back-and-forth of the first. The Cavaliers went on multiple unanswered scoring runs, allowing them to pull ahead and lead the Wolfpack 15-8. However, NC State responded with their share of unanswered points, cutting the lead to 18-14.
The Wolfpack continued to aggressively chip away at Virginia’s lead, as a 4-0 scoring run featuring kills from senior outside hitter Madison Williams and junior outside hitter Ava Brizard cut the Cavaliers’ lead to one point at 19-18. However, the Cavaliers responded well, holding off NC State with their own 3-0 scoring run and winning the second set 25-20.
The third set featured more competitive play between both teams. A handful of kills from Bryant, senior middle blocker Jada Allen, Duprey and Williams were factors in the scoring streak that allowed the Wolfpack to widen their lead to 12-7 before Virginia took a timeout.
Looking to readjust after their break, the Cavaliers cut the score to 14-12, but the Wolfpack replied with another 3-0 run that featured a pair of kills from senior Amanda Rice. Virginia took another timeout in hopes to slow down NC State, and after a few back and forth points, the Cavaliers were finally able to gain some momentum.
Thanks to a serving ace from Duprey and a handful of scoring errors, Virginia trailed just 23-21 in the final moments of the third set. The Wolfpack, however, recuperated in a timeout and Rice responded with two kills to win the set 25-21 for NC State.
Though the Cavaliers overcame a deficit Friday night against the Demon Deacons, they were unable to force a fifth set Sunday. The score was tied a total of seven times before the Wolfpack took a 12-10 advantage following a kill from Rice. NC State never gave the lead back, as it finished with a strong 4-0 scoring run to win the set 25-19 and defeat the Cavaliers in four sets.
Despite the loss, Virginia is still .500 in the ACC and still off to its strongest overall start in two decades. The ACC volleyball schedule slows down for no one, though, so the Cavaliers will need to regroup quickly before they embark on another two-match week.
The first of those two matches comes Friday against No. 18 Florida State at Memorial Gymnasium in Charlottesville. The Seminoles are currently 2-0 in ACC play, so a win against them could cement Virginia’s status as a legitimate competitor in the conference. The match will begin at 7 p.m. and can be streamed on ACCNX.
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