Virginia Hosts Virginia Tech, Pitt to Close Regular Season

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Nov. 23, 2016

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia volleyball team will close its regular season at home this weekend as it hosts Virginia Tech on Friday (Nov. 25) at 7 p.m. and Pitt on Saturday (Nov. 26) at 5 p.m. in Memorial Gymnasium.

Both matches will be streamed live on the ACC Network Extra on WatchESPN. Links for the stream and live stats will be available on VirginiaSports.com.

Friday’s match will serve as Senior Day. UVA will honor six seniors, Jasmine Burton (West Hills, Calif.), Haley Kole (Tallahassee, Fla.), Meghan McDowell (Clarendon Hills, Ill.), Lexi Riccolo (Wheaton, Ill.), Karlie Suber and Alex Thorson (Spring, Texas). The group helped lead Virginia to three-straight winning seasons and a 33-19 record in Memorial Gym.

Burton has recorded double-digit kills in nine of the last 11 matches. During that span, she is averaging 3.98 kills per set, 0.33 service aces per set and 0.79 blocks per set. Burton has moved into 12th all-time with 1,113 career kills. Kole and Riccolo have continued to climb the UVA charts. Kole has moved into seventh with 1,415 career kills and Riccolo is fifth with 1,482 career digs.

Virginia Tech (12-17, 7-11 ACC) has won three-straight matches entering the week. The Hokies topped Boston College, 3-0, and Syracuse, 3-1, last weekend. Lindsey Owens leads the team and ranks eighth in the ACC with 3.47 kills per set. Defensively, Cara Cunningham ranks 10th in the league with 1.07 blocks per set and Carol Rafferty is sixth with 4.33 digs per set.

This will be the second meeting this season and 69th all-time between Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Hokies won the first meeting in Blacksburg, Va. to earn a half point in the Commonwealth Clash. The teams split the two meetings last season, with UVA winning at home, 3-1.

The Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529 is a head-to-head, points-based competition between the athletic teams at University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Commonwealth Clash encourages a friendly, statewide rivalry between the two schools across all school-sponsored sports with 22 individual event points on the line. The school that accumulates 11.5 points or more will be crowned the winner and take home the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash trophy. Virginia currently leads 2.5 to 2. Visit www.TheCommonwealthClash.com for more information and updated standings.

Pitt (22-8, 13-5 ACC) has won eight of its last night matches, including wins over Syracuse, 3-1, and Boston College, 3-0, last weekend. The Panthers rank second in the ACC in hitting percentage (.253), assists (13.19), kills (14.11) and service aces (1.59). Stephanie Williams leads the offense with 3.74 kills per set, while Jenna Potts paces the Panthers at the net with 1.34 blocks per set.

In the previous meeting this season, Pitt defeated UVA 3-0 in Pittsburgh. The Cavaliers won last season’s meeting in Memorial Gymnasium, 3-1. UVA landed 12 service aces in that match. Pitt leads the all-time series 9-3.