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Cavaliers Close Out Road Tilt With Loss at Wake Forest
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Virginia volleyball team closed out its four-match road swing with a 3-1 (25-23, 15-25, 20-25, 16-25) loss at Wake Forest on Saturday evening in Reynolds Gymnasium. Sophomore Simone Asque led the team with 14 kills, while junior Sydney Hill, senior Lauren Dickson and freshman Rachel Gray had career best nights.
Dickson, tying a personal-best of 21 digs, led all players defensively, while Gray dished out a personal-best – and match-high – 47 assists. Hill tied a career-high of 11 kills and freshman Jessica O’Shoney landed seven kills, four blocks and had two aces.
Defensively, junior AJ Cushman had 15 digs and Brittani Rendina contributed 11.
For Wake Forest (6-10, 4-1 ACC), Kadija Fornah led all players with 16 kills. Kristen White had a double-double of 12 kills and 12 digs, while Kelsey Jones had 45 assists and 11 digs. Megan Thornberry led the team with 20 digs and Carlin Salmon blocked a match-high seven attacks.
The first set was a back-and-forth battle. Wake Forest strung together an early five-point run to pull ahead 8-5, but the Cavaliers responded with five-straight points of their own to force the Demon Deacons to call a timeout at 10-8. With the score evened at 11, the squads traded 13 kills before Virginia could pull ahead two, 18-16. The lead didn’t last though, as Wake knotted the frame at 19. But the Cavaliers responded. With an even 22-22 score, Virginia rallied to get a kill from Asque and two blocks from freshman Tobi Farrar and O’Shoney to take the 25-23 victory.
Wake Forest earned the momentum early in the second set and the Cavaliers never recovered. The Demon Deacons jumped out to a 13-5 lead behind a six-point run and although Virginia pulled within four following a four-point streak, Wake closed out the frame scoring seven of the final nine points to win, 25-15.
The Demon Deacons earned another early lead in the third set, which Virginia struggled to recover from. Wake strung together four-straight points to start the frame and extended its lead to seven at 15-8. Virginia worked to cut into the Deacons lead, but were only able to come as close as four, as Wake went on to win 25-20.
The beginning of the fourth set was a battle, but a 4-0 run by Wake Forest midway through the frame plagued the Cavaliers, as it sparked a 10-2 run for the Demon Deacons and put them on top, 25-16.
Virginia (6-10, 1-4 ACC) will return to action next weekend, playing host to NC State and North Carolina. The Cavaliers will host the Wolfpack on Friday at 7 p.m., before facing the Tar Heels on Sunday at noon.