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Oct. 1, 2005
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Second-year outside hitter Sarah Kirkwood (Tampa, Fla./Plant) recorded her first double-double of the season with 20 kills and 12 digs, but it wasn’t enough as the University of Virginia volleyball team fell to unbeaten Maryland 3-2 (30-16, 24-30, 30-26, 26-30, 15-12) Saturday (October 1) at Memorial Gym. UVa falls to 7-6 overall and 2-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference with the loss, while the Terrapins improve to 14-0 overall and 5-0 in the conference.
Kirkwood led four Cavaliers in double figure kills with her season-high 20-kill effort. She hit .357 and also set a season-best with her 12 digs. Second-year outside hitter Beth Shelton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursula Academy) equaled her career high with 17 kills and also recorded five digs, two service aces and two blocks. First-year middle Shannon Davis (Austin, Texas/Westlake) notched 13 kills to go along with four digs and four blocks, including two solo stuffs. Third-year outside hitter Lindsay Osco (Houston, Texas/Elkins) rounded out the Cavaliers in double figures in kills with 11 and nearly registered a double-double with nine digs. Third-year middle Stephanie Everett (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) posted season highs of nine kills and five blocks.
Third-year setter Emily Kirkwood (Tampa, Fla./Plant) posted a match and season-high 62 assists and added seven digs, three service aces and two blocks. With her 62 assists, Kirkwood increased her career total to 3,093 to move into second-place on Virginia’s all-time career assists list. Second-year libero Melissa Caldwell (Houston, Texas/Stratford) had 11 digs to reach double figures in digs for the 11th time this season.
Jade Brown led five Terrapins in double figures in kills with 19 while hitting .432. Maggie Schmelzle (15 kills, 14 digs) and Beth Gillming (13 kills, 16 digs) both registered double doubles. Rachel Wagener tallied 13 kills and added a match-best eight blocks, while Stephanie Smith posted 11 kills and six blocks for the Terps.
Maryland hit .313 with 80 kills in the match, while UVa posted 72 kills and a .260 hitting percentage. The Terps held a 15-9 edge in blocks and a 12-8 advantage in service aces. Maryland also held a slim 67-62 edge in digs.
The Terps hit an impressive .471 in cruising to a 30-16 win in the first game. Virginia answered with a .406 hitting percentage in winning the second game 30-24 to tie the match at 1-1. UVa grabbed an 18-13 lead in the third game, but Maryland rattled off seven consecutive points to take the lead for good, 20-18, and went on to a 30-26 victory. In a must win game four, Sarah Kirkwood, Shelton and Osco combined for 14 kills and UVa hit .312 in a 30-26 win to knot the match at 2-2. In the deciding fifth game, Maryland took a 6-3 lead, but UVa closed to within 7-6 on a block by Everett and Emily Kirkwood. The Terps scored the next three points to pull ahead 10-6 and eventually won 15-12.
Virginia continues its five-match homestand Tuesday (October 4) with a 7:00 p.m. contest against Virginia Tech at Memorial Gym. The match marks the first meeting between UVa and the Hokies in the newly formed Commonwealth Challenge. Admission is free of charge.