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Virginia Tops Virginia Tech, 3-1, In Commonwealth Clash
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Oct. 3, 2015
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia volleyball team kicked off the annual Commonwealth Clash with a 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-17) win over Virginia Tech in front of a sold out crowd on Saturday night in Memorial Gymnasium.
“We are definitely excited to get Virginia off to a lead in the Commonwealth Clash,” head coach Dennis Hohenshelt said. “It was a big weekend more so because the girls were really down after last weekend. To play well was pretty important to this group, not just the first night but tonight as well.”
Virginia (11-4, 3-1 ACC) continued to perform well on its home court, hitting .304 on the night while holding Virginia Tech (11-5, 2-2 ACC) to just a .167 attack percentage. The Cavaliers also led with 10 blocks and 57 kills to 39.
Freshman Anna Walsh (Grapevine, Texas) led the match with 15 kills on a .481 hitting percentage. Junior Haley Kole (Tallahassee, Fla.) recorded the first double-double of her career with 13 kills and 13 digs and senior Natalie Bausback (Carlsbad, Calif.) added 13 kills and picked up seven blocks.
Senior Lauren Fuller (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) tallied her second double-double of the season with 49 assists to guide the Cavalier offense and added a team-best 14 digs.
It was a battle in the first set as the two teams traded points until Virginia Tech was able to use a 3-0 run to win the opener 25-21. There were 16 ties and 10 lead changes in the set.
It was a similar theme in the second set, this time UVA came out victorious with a 25-21 win. The set was tied 21-21, but the Cavaliers scored the last four points capped off by back-to-back kills from Walsh to tie the match at 1-1.
Out of the break, Virginia used its momentum to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Virginia Tech would tie it up at 7-7 until a 7-1 run put the Cavaliers ahead 14-8. UVA continued to play strong in the set and took the win 25-13.
Virginia took a 2-1 lead in the fourth set and never looked back as the Cavaliers led the remainder of the set. UVA slowly extended its lead and closed out the win on a 4-2 run to secure the win.
“To play at home the last two nights as been incredibly electric,” Hohenshelt stated. “To have that many people here tonight, and even last night in the rain is a really great atmosphere. We are going to have to be tough on the road. I think this group is battle tested and ready to go. We are excited to go to North Carolina and play.”
Tonight’s game was sponsored by Virginia529, the official college savings plan of University of Virginia Athletics. With Virginia’s victory, the Hoos have earned a half-point in the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash. The score for the Clash is now, Virginia – 0.5 and Virginia Tech – 0. Learn more about Virginia529 and this competition at TheCommmonwealthClash.com.
Virginia will be back on the road in ACC play as it travels to North Carolina on Friday (Oct. 9) and NC State on Saturday (Oct. 10).