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Volleyball Sweeps Georgia Tech, 3-0
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Box Score Nov. 14, 2015
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – For the second-straight night, the Virginia volleyball team was dominate at the net with double-digit blocks as the Cavaliers swept Georgia Tech, 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-22) on Saturday night in Memorial Gymnasium.
“We did some really nice things tonight,” head coach Dennis Hohenshelt said. “It seems like we are getting back into the rhythm we were in at the beginning of the year. To win at home is very important right now and every win is very important in terms of getting to the NCAA Tournament.”
Virginia improved to 17-10 overall and 9-7 in ACC play, while Georgia Tech fell to 17-11, 8-8 in ACC action. The Cavaliers had a solid night on both sides of the ball, hitting .304 and finishing with 13 blocks to hold Georgia Tech to just .135 hitting percentage. The Yellow Jackets edged UVA with 46 digs to 37 and 4 aces to two.
Junior Haley Kole (Tallahassee, Fla.) continued her hot hitting with a match-high 13 kills. Senior Natalie Bausback (Carlsbad, Calif.) tallied 11 kills and added a team-best six blocks. Senior Lauren Fuller (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) dished out 37 assists to guide the offense and notched her four double-double of the year with a team-leading 10 digs.
The teams were evenly matched from the beginning with 15 ties and five lead changes in the opening set. The Cavaliers used a 3-0 run to take a 23-21 lead, but Georgia Tech landed back-to-back kills to tie the set at 23-23. After a timeout, UVA used the break to its advantage with kills by freshman Anna Walsh (Grapevine, Texas) and Bausback to close out the 25-23 win.
Momentum carried over into the second set for the Cavaliers as they jumped out to a 5-1 lead. Virginia extended its lead to 10-4 and continued to control the set for a 25-18 win. UVA hit .370 in the second game, while holding the Yellow Jackets to a .069 hitting percentage.
It was a quick start once again as Virginia opened the third set with a 7-3 advantage, forcing an early timeout by Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers stretched their lead out to 20-14, but the Yellow Jackets hung around and cut the lead down to 20-16.
Virginia was up 24-18 when Georgia Tech mounted a 4-0 run to cut the lead to 24-22. Out of a timeout, Walsh landed her ninth kill of the match to secure the 25-22 win for the Cavaliers.
“With two weeks left in the season, we are now playing to get into the NCAA Tournament and that hasn’t happened since 1999,” Hohenshelt said. “This group is a very focused group and their motivation is to win every game.”
UVA will close out its regular-season home slate next weekend. The Cavaliers host NC State on Friday (Nov. 20) and North Carolina on Saturday (Nov. 21).