Virginia Drops Heartbreaker at Liberty, 3-2
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Box Score Sept. 23, 2014
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LYNCHBURG, Va.–The Virginia volleyball team dropped a five-set match at Liberty, 25-23, 21-25, 22-25, 25-22 and 15-13, Tuesday night at the Vines Center. With the loss, the Cavaliers fell to 7-6 on the season, while the Flames improved to 12-5.
The fifth set was tied at 11, 12 and 13 before Liberty’s Calia Stapleton and Caroline Douglas earned kills win the match for the Flames.
For the match, the Cavaliers hit .237, while Liberty had a .214 hitting percentage. The Flames outblocked UVa, 16.5-10, and had nine service aces to Virginia’s four.
Senior Tori Janowski (Sterling, Va.) led the Cavaliers with 22 kills and 11 digs, while junior Lauren Fuller (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) also recorded a double-double with 55 assists and 11 digs. Junior Natalie Bausback hit at a .464 clip with 16 kills against only three errors, while classmate Manon Fuller (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) led the team with 24 digs.
In the first set, both teams were efficient offensively, as the Flames hit .357 to the Cavaliers’ .302. Liberty led 22-18 before UVa earned five points in a row to take a 23-22 lead, but the Flames took the next three to win the set.
The Cavaliers claimed the second set, 25-21, after hitting .353 while holding the Flames to a .250 hitting percentage. In the third, UVa recorded four blocks and limited Liberty to .122 hitting. Janowski had six kills in the frame, including one to stop a mini Flame run at towards the end of the set.
In the fourth, UVa had a 21-18 lead, but Liberty came back on a 7-1 run to win the set, 25-22.
Douglas led the Flames with 27 kills and 13 digs.
Next up, the Cavaliers begin 2014 Atlantic Coast Conference play this weekend (Sept. 26-27) at Memorial Gymnasium. UVa hosts Clemson on Friday and Wake Forest on Saturday. Both matches are set for a 7 p.m. start.