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Sept. 25, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia volleyball team begins Atlantic Coast Conference play this weekend at Memorial Gym with matches against league rivals Wake Forest and Duke. The Cavaliers open their ACC schedule by hosting Wake Forest on Friday (September 26) at 7:00 p.m. UVa will then take on Duke on Saturday (September 27) at 1:00 p.m. at Mem Gym. Virginia is currently 16-0 on the season and is one of only six undefeated Division I teams in 2003.
The Cavaliers are off to the best start in program history and their 16-match winning streak is also a program best. As of September 22, UVa leads all Division I teams with its 16 victories. Thirteen of the 16 wins have come in the four regular-season tournaments Virginia has won. The Cavaliers are returning to Mem Gym for the first time since defeating Virginia Tech 3-1 on September 9. UVa has played its last eight matches on the road, including five consecutive 3-0 wins.
Virginia is ranked in two statistical categories as a team in the 2003 NCAA Statistics. The Cavaliers are 12th in hitting percentage with a mark of .294. UVa is also 23rd in kills with an average of 16.53 per game. Fourth-year libero Whitney Ashcraft (Yorktown, Ind./Burris) and third-year middle Alexis Geocaris (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) are ranked in the individual NCAA Statistics. Ashcraft is third in the nation in digs per game with an average of 5.32, while Geocaris is 26th in hitting percentage with a mark of .391. Fourth-year outside hitter Paige Davis (Austin, Texas/Westlake) leads UVa in kills with 216 (4.08 per game) and is also hitting at a .353 clip.
Wake Forest enters this weekend’s match with a 10-2 record. The Demon Deacons appear in four categories of the NCAA Statistics. Wake is sixth in service aces (2.71 per game), seventh in hitting percentage (.308), 20th in kills (16.68 per game) and 26th in assists (14.91 per game). Individually, Christy Williams is ninth in hitting percentage (.435), while setter Erin Borhart is 27th in assists (12.76 per game). Valerie Rydberg and Lauren Peterson are 14th and 24th in service aces with marks of .74 and .68 per game, respectively.
Prior to playing the Cavaliers on Saturday, Duke will square off against Maryland Friday night. The Blue Devils stand at 4-8 on the season. Duke is seventh in the nation in digs per game (19.37) and 13th in blocks (3.01 per game). Krista Dill ranks third in the country in blocks with an average of 1.72 per game.
Admission to all home Virginia volleyball matches is free of charge.