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ATLANTA, Ga. – The Virginia volleyball team began its season-ending three-match road swing with an 0-3 (18-25, 20-25, 15-25) loss at Georgia Tech on Friday evening.

For the Cavaliers’ attack, sophomore Simone Asque once again led the way, tallying a match-high 10 kills, while senior Lauren Dickson inched her way closer to 1,000 career kills. With four on the evening, Dickson currently sits one shy of becoming the 14th Cavalier to reach the milestone.

Junior Sydney Hill contributed seven kills and sophomore Tess Udall, playing in one set, knocked down five for UVa.

In the backrow, senior Brittani Rendina paced the defense with 13 digs, while junior AJ Cushman and Asque each contributed eight and senior Tara Hester ended up with seven.

At the net, freshman Jess O’Shoney collected four blocks and freshman Rachel Gray distributed 30 assists.

For Georgia Tech (19-9, 13-5 ACC), three Yellow Jackets landed nine kills, while Jordan McCullers collected a match-high 22 digs and Monique Mead blocked six attacks. Mary Ashley Tippins dished out 31 assists.

Virginia fell behind in the opening of the first set, 1-6, but used a three-point run to cut the Jackets’ lead to four, at 12-8. Back-to-back blocks from Georgia Tech plagued the Cavaliers though, as GT extended its lead back to seven and cruised to a 25-18 victory.

The Cavaliers hung tight in the beginning of the second set, rallying for a two-point lead at 6-4, following a block from Hill. But the Jackets evened the score at six, and again at seven, before using a 7-3 run to pull ahead six, at 19-13. Virginia attempted to decrease its deficit, stringing together four-straight points late in the frame, but it wouldn’t be enough as Georgia Tech went on to win, 25-20.

Throughout the beginning of the third set, the squads traded serves, keeping the score knotted up until a 6-1 run in favor of the Yellow Jackets forced Virginia to call a timeout at 14-9. The Cavaliers answered with two-straight points out of the intermission, but Georgia Tech would use five-unanswered points to take a commanding 19-11 lead. Hill attempted to spark a run for the Cavaliers, knocking down back-to-back kills, but it wouldn’t enough as Georgia Tech claimed the set, 25-15.

Virginia (12-17, 7-11 ACC) will return to action tomorrow evening, facing Clemson in Jervey Gymnasium at 7 p.m.

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