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Orange-Blue Scrimmage Set For Saturday at 3 p.m.
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia volleyball team will host its third annual Orange-Blue Scrimmage this Saturday in Memorial Gymnasium. The action is set to begin at 3 p.m., and is free of charge.
Following the scrimmage, the volleyball team will host a clinic for all youth 17-and-under. Drills will be performed with the coaching staff and current players on the main court of Mem Gym.
For the scrimmage, the squad will break up into two squads and compete in a match-like format. Rather than playing a typical “best-of-five” match, the team will play five sets regardless of the outcome of the first four sets. The match will be played in traditional scoring format, with the first four sets being played to 25 points and the fifth to 15. A team must win by two points.
The match will feature all nine of the returning players, as well as the nationally ranked incoming freshman class. In just two seasons, Maes has brought the program into the spotlight by putting together back-to-back nationally ranked recruiting classes. Maes’ inaugural group, sophomores Tobi Farrar, Rachel Gray and Jessica O’Shoney, pulled in a No. 15 national ranking prior to arriving on Grounds and helped the Cavaliers to a 12-19 finish last season.
This year’s incoming class of McKenzie Adams, Rachel Clark, Emily Rottman, Nika Simenc, Beth Wildermuth and Mallory Woolridge has been tabbed the ninth-best group in the nation. Regarded as one of the most-heralded recruiting classes in the history of the program, these incoming Cavaliers will join the veteran players to create Maes’ deepest and most-talented squad yet.
An All-ACC performer in 2009 and two-time preseason All-ACC honoree, junior Simone Asque returns to anchor the offense. The outside hitter paced the Cavaliers with a team-best 416 kills last year and ranked third in the conference with 3.75 kills per set. Knocking down 87 kills during a four-match stretch of the regular season, Asque led UVa to a 3-1 record in those contests and earned back-to-back ACC Player of the Week honors for her achievements.
The Cavaliers also return all-tournament team honorees senior AJ Cushman and Gray to the lineup, while All-ACC Academic Team member and senior Sydney Hill comes back for her final season.
Also returning to Virginia’s lineup will be senior Kendahl Voelker, junior Hillary Trebels, junior Tess Udall, Farrar and O’Shoney.
Virginia, winner of two-straight Holiday Inn Jefferson Cup titles under Maes, will open its season on Friday, Aug. 27 at Temple against Valparaiso. The Cavaliers’ first home match will be Sept. 3, as a part of the Holiday Inn Jefferson Cup.