Virginia Rallies to Knock Off GT in Five

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ATLANTA After dropping the first two games, the Virginia volleyball team (8-5, 3-1 ACC) rallied for a 3-2 comeback win Friday to hand Georgia Tech its first conference loss of the season. The Cavaliers won the fifth and deciding game 15-12 in front of 1,735 fans at O’Keefe Gymnasium.

“This was one of the best wins in my tenure,” head coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton said following the match. “It was so exiting to watch us come together in game three after being beat up so much in game one. I am so proud of the effort and it was a great way to start off the weekend. There is a lot of potential on this team and when we play with our hearts we can do a lot of things.”

The Yellow Jackets started off strong, dominating the first game 30-16 and pulling away in game two, 30-22. It would have been easy for Virginia to toss in the towel, but instead the Hoos decided to make a game of it.

Virginia won game three by a 30-25 mark and just squeaked by the Ramblin’ Wreck in game four, 32-30, to send the match into a fifth game. The loss dropped Georgia Tech to 8-5 on the year and 2-1 in conference play.

The Cavaliers consistently improved in time after registering a -0.75 hitting percentage in the first game, with only eight kills and 11 errors. UVa went on to hit .246 and .259 in the fourth and fifth games, respectively.

Four players finished with double digit kills, led by 17 from All-American Sarah Kirkwood. Shannon Davis and Kendahl Voelker tallied 13 apiece and Katie Oakes recorded 11. Rookie Kelly Irvin registered a personal-best 46 assists in the winning effort.

Defensively, UVa had five players reach double figures in digs. Melissa Caldwell paced the squad with 18 digs, followed by Irvin (16), Kirkwood (15), Tara Hester (14), and A.J. Cushman (12). Oakes also paved the way with nine blocks.

Virginia plays continues its road trip Saturday at Clemson. Match time is set for 6 p.m.