Virginia Volleyball Falls to Pitt, 3-0
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Box Score Nov. 27, 2015
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Virginia volleyball team fell to Pittsburgh, 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-15) on Friday night at the Fitzgerald Field House.
“We played well in spurts, but gave up to many runs of four or five points in the middle of the sets,” head coach Dennis Hohenshelt said. “We have to get right back on the horse as we have a long travel night to Blacksburg and play an early match tomorrow.”
Virginia fell to 18-12, 10-9 in ACC, while Pitt improved to 23-8, 13-7 ACC on the season. The Cavaliers were out-hit by the Panthers, .358 to .102, and trailed in digs (43-36), blocks (7-5) and aces (5-3).
Senior Natalie Bausback (Carlsbad, Calif.) led UVA with 14 kills, while freshman Anna Walsh (Grapevine, Texas) added seven. Junior Lexi Riccolo led the Cavaliers with 15 digs and Bausback picked up a team-high four blocks at the net.
The Cavaliers had the early lead in the first set, 4-1, but Pitt took an 11-8 advantage after a 4-0 run. The Panthers stretched their lead out to 21-13 after a 7-0 run. Virginia fought back to cut the lead to, 23-19, and was within three, 24-21, but Pitt was able to put the set away with a 25-21 win.
The teams remained close early in the second set and were tied 11-11, but a 9-1 run put Pitt ahead 20-12. UVA responded with a 5-1 run, but it wouldn’t be enough as Pitt took the second set 25-17.
A fast start by Pitt had the Cavaliers down early in the third, but Virginia tied it up at 7-7 and took the lead after a block by Bausback and senior Kayla Sears (Moorpark, Calif.). However, six straight points gave the Panthers a 12-8 lead as UVA called timeout. Another run gave Pitt an 18-10 lead and the Panthers went on to win 25-15 to take the match.
“This group has worked extremely hard this year and we plan on coming home with a big Commonwealth Clash victory,” Hohenshelt stated. “
Virginia closes out the regular season Saturday at Virginia Tech in a Commonwealth Clash match. The Cavaliers and Hokies are slated to begin at 4 p.m.