Cavaliers Roll Past New Hampshire, 3-0
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HARRISONBURG, Va. Despite a slow start to the day, the Virginia volleyball team completed a 3-0 (26-24, 25-13, 25-12) sweep of New Hampshire at the JMU Days Inn Invitational to run their record to 2-0 on the season. New Hampshire falls to 0-2 this season.
Five Cavaliers registered kills for Virginia, led by third-year Lauren Dickson (Austin, Texas), who notched nine. Fourth-year Shannon Davis (Austin, Texas) and fifth-year Beth Shelton (Cincinnati, Ohio) each tallied seven, while second-year Sydney Hill (Kalamazoo, Mich.) landed six. Second-year Kendahl Voelker (Fort Myers, Fla.) added four.
Hill led the defensive effort with six blocks, while third-year Brittani Rendina (Lisle, Ill.) collected a match-high eight digs. Dickson and second-year A.J. Cushman (Richmond, Va.) had seven digs each.
Fourth-year Marlow Bruneau (Lakeville, Minn.) dished out a match-high 29 assists and first-year Hillary Trebels collected her first collegiate block late in the match.
For the Wildcats, Christie Dorch led all players with 10 kills. Kate Uitti handed out 15 helpers and Jayde Huxtable collected seven digs.
The Cavaliers’ attack finished the match hitting .317, while the defense held UNH’s attack to a .047 clip, outblocking the Wildcats 11-2. Virginia landed six service aces and collected 40 digs, compared to New Hampshire’s two aces and 35 digs.
After a back-and-forth battle throughout the first frame, New Hampshire looked to have gained control of the set with a 23-19 lead. But the Cavaliers used back-to-back kills and a Wildcat attack error to inch their way back in, before a block from Bruneau and Hill knotted the score at 23 all.
With the score tied at 24-24, Bruneau blocked a Wildcat attack and Dickson secured the 26-24 victory with a kill for the Cavaliers.
Virginia set the tempo early in the second set, jumping out to a 10-3 lead. Behind an efficient attacking unit, hitting .500 for the set, the Cavaliers extended their lead to 20-8, en route to a 25-13 win.
Even after the five-minute intermission between set two and three, the Cavaliers didn’t seem to miss a beat, as Rendina fired off two service aces to open play. Behind a solid defense, Virginia worked to extend its lead to 17-11, before landing eight of the final nine points for the match win, at 25-12.
The Cavaliers will resume play this evening, facing host James Madison at 7 p.m.