/
.
Cavaliers Head to Duke and Wake Forest
Story Links
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia volleyball team heads south to Duke and Wake Forest this weekend to close out a four-match road swing. The Cavaliers are set to face the Blue Devils on Friday and the Demon Deacons on Saturday. Both matches are slated to begin at 7 p.m., with live statistics available on VirginiaSports.com.
Coming off a tough weekend in Florida, the Cavaliers look to rebound from a 1-3 loss to Miami and a 0-3 loss to No. 18 Florida State.
Virginia (6-8, 1-2 ACC) is led by senior Lauren Dickson and sophomore Simone Asque. Dickson paces the attack with 165 kills, while Asque has landed 155.
Defensively, junior AJ Cushman leads the team with 185 digs and has landed 11 service aces, while junior Sydney Hill has blocked 33 attacks.
In addition, junior Kendahl Voelker landed her 500th-career kill in the Cavaliers’ match against the Seminoles over the weekend.
Duke (13-2, 3-0 ACC) is coming off a 2-0 week in which it swept Maryland and Boston College. The Blue Devils are led by Sophia Dunworth’s 141 kills, while Kellie Catanach has dished out 529 assists. Defensively, Claire Smalzer has dug 136 attacks and Becci Burling has blocked 55.
Wake Forest (4-10, 2-1 ACC) is also coming off a 2-0 week, topping Maryland and Boston College. Kadija Fornah leads the attack with 120 kills. Kelsey Jones has dished out 401 assists, while Abby Miller leads the defense with 196 digs.
In the all-time series with the two schools, Virginia trails Duke, 13-38, while leading Wake Forest, 19-16. The Blue Devils and Cavaliers have faced each other at least once a year since 1982, with Duke leading the early years of the series, winning the first six meetings from 1982-1986 and another 12-consecutive from 1989-1995.
Against the Demon Deacons, Virginia dropped six-straight matches from 2001-2003, but has turned it around, winning eight of the last 10.
Following this weekend, the Cavaliers will return to Charlottesville for a four-match homestand, beginning with NC State on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. Virginia will conclude the weekend with a match against North Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 11 at noon.