Virginia Earns Season Sweep Over Louisville with 3-2 Win
Story Links
Box Score Nov. 2, 2014
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-The Virginia volleyball team defeated ACC newcomer Louisville, 27-25, 13-25, 25-15, 21-25 and 15-12, Sunday afternoon to earn the season sweep over the Cardinals. With the win, the Cavaliers improved to 15-9 overall and 8-3 in ACC play.
“I’m proud of this team, because it was a long road trip this weekend with Clemson on Friday and Louisville today and I thought we handled it extremely well,” UVa head coach Dennis Hohenshelt said. “We have stretches where we are really clicking and they are starting to get longer and longer, but we have to continue to work on limiting the opponents’ long runs, like what happened in the second set.”
With the scored tied, 6-6, in the fifth, the Cavaliers recorded three points in a row to take the lead for good. The Cardinals cut the lead to one at 13-12, but a kill by senior Tori Janowski (Sterling, Va.) and a Louisville attack error clinched the win for Virginia.
After starting the season 0-4 in five-set matches, the Cavaliers have won four five-set matches in a row.
“Starting with the Virginia Tech match, we have been able to get up early in fifth sets and put pressure on our opponents,” Hohenshelt said. “Today, we were able to build a lead, force some Louisville errors and grind out the win.”
The two teams were evenly matched, with Virginia holding a slight advantage in hitting, .274-.272, while the Cardinals earned one more kill, 67-66. The Cavaliers led in service aces, 9-4.
Sophomore Jasmine Burton (West Hills, Calif.) hit .378 with 17 kills, while junior Natalie Bausback (Carlsbad, Calif.) added nine kills with no errors on .429 hitting. Junior Lauren Fuller (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) dished out 47 assists with 16 digs and four service aces, while Janowski recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 14 digs. Sophomore Lexi Riccolo had a match-high 19 digs and senior Morgan Blair (Long Valley, N.J.) led the team with five blocks.
In the first set, the Cavaliers fought off two set points before a kill from sophomore Haley Kole (Tallahassee, Fla.) clinched the set, 27-25. UVa hit just .125 in a 25-13 second-set loss, but rebounded to win the third, 25-15, on .378 hitting.
Virginia jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the fourth, but Louisville used an 11-3 run to come back, take the lead and go on to win the frame, 25-21.
Maggie DeJong hit .324 with 16 kills to lead the Cardinals.
Up next, the Cavaliers continue on the road when they travel to the Sunshine State to face Florida State on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. and Miami on Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.