Virginia volleyball lost a tough matchup Sunday to No. 20 Georgia Tech on the road, snapping a three-game winning streak. The Cavaliers (14-3, 4-2 ACC) struggled to find its footing through the first two sets, while the Yellow Jackets (11-4, 3-3 ACC) came out with energy and defeated the Cavaliers by an average of seven points across both sets. The game seemed to be shifting to Virginia in the beginning of the third set, as the Cavaliers took a slight lead, but Virginia could not hold off a strong finish from Georgia Tech, ultimately losing the third and final set.
The Cavaliers won the first point of set one but did not lead for the rest of the set. While the score was tight for the first half, five straight points scored by the Yellow Jackets, including two kills, gave them a 15-9 lead before Virginia called its first timeout. The Cavaliers returned in an attempt to chip away at this lead, scoring first after the timeout. Ultimately, though, they were unable to hold off the Yellow Jackets, who won the first set 25-20.
The momentum stayed with Georgia Tech for the second set, and Virginia seemed to struggle even more. The Yellow Jackets came out strong, starting with three unanswered points. Virginia had eight kills from four different players, but it was nothing compared to the 14 total kills Georgia Tech had from five players in the set.
The Cavaliers trailed for the entire second set, even letting the Yellow Jackets’ lead expand to nine points at the end of it. Their six-point scoring run at the end of the set carried the Yellow Jackets to another set victory, this time winning 25-16.
Virginia appeared refocused to start the third set, keeping the score much closer and more even and holding on to a lead in the beginning of the set. The score was tied 13-13 when Georgia Tech regained control — posting three kills in a row to take the lead 16-13. Multiple lead changes followed in a do-or-die final set.
A 3-0 scoring run from the Cavaliers forced the Yellow Jackets to take a timeout. However, Georgia Tech tied the set at 19-19 and took off from there. Five unanswered points and two final kills held off any opportunities for Virginia to come back. The Yellow Jackets won the third and final set 25-21.
Despite a tough loss that breaks the Cavaliers’ nine-set winning streak — they swept their last three opponents — losing to a ranked team such as Georgia Tech cannot affect Virginia’s confidence going into the remainder of the season.
The rest of the Cavaliers’ schedule is in-conference, and they need to draw upon successes from previous games such as their sweep against the then-No. 16 Seminoles and Miami, who has consistently received votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA rankings. This will be particularly important for Virginia going into big matchups including currently ranked No. 1 Pitt and No. 4 Louisville in November.
Up next, the Cavaliers will face Duke Friday at 7 p.m. in Memorial Gymnasium. Virginia’s seventh ACC matchup of the season will also be available to watch on ACCNX.
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