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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia volleyball team is looking to rebound from a tough loss at NC State over the weekend, hosting Duke and Wake Forest this weekend. The Cavaliers will face the Blue Devils on Friday at 7 p.m. and the Demon Deacons on Sunday at noon. Livestats for both matches will be available, with the Duke match to be broadcast on ACC Select.
Virginia (11-8, 3-4 ACC) split last weekend’s competition in North Carolina, defeating UNC, 3-2, on Friday before dropping a four-set match to NC State on Saturday.
Both Duke and Wake Forest enter the weekend with an overall 13-6 record, 4-3 mark in the league. The Blue Devils defeated Georgia Tech in five-sets over the weekend, but are looking to rebound from a four-set loss at Clemson on Saturday. The Demon Deacons dropped both matches to Georgia Tech and Clemson, and will face Virginia Tech prior to meeting the Cavaliers on Sunday.
Duke dominates the all-time series with Virginia, 36-13, and has won the past four meetings, while Virginia leads the series with Wake Forest, 18-15. The Cavaliers have won seven of the last eight match-ups between the two programs, including a sweep of last season’s competition.
The Cavaliers are led offensively by a pair of Austin, Texas natives, third-year Lauren Dickson and fourth-year Shannon Davis. Dickson leads the team with 220 kills, while Davis is hitting .310 this season.
Third-year Brittani Rendina (Lisle, Ill.) and second-year Sydney Hill (Kalamazoo, Mich.) pace the defense this year, with Rendina collecting 268 digs and Hill totaling 79 blocks. Fourth-year Marlow Bruneau (Lakeville, Minn.) and second-year Kelly Irvin (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) share setting duties. Bruneau has distributed 448 assists, while Irvin has 206.
Behind the line, second-year A.J. Cushman (Richmond, Va.) and Dickson have landed 22 service aces. Rendina has 21.
The Cavaliers will continue their homestand next weekend, hosting Miami and Florida State to wrap up the first half of the ACC schedule.