Virginia Opens Home Slate with Jefferson Cup
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –Virginia volleyball (2-4) hosts the Jefferson Cup on Friday (Sept. 7) and Saturday (Sept. 8) to open its 2018 home slate. The Cavaliers open the tournament at 11 a.m. Friday against Youngstown State (5-2) before playing host to UNCW (4-3) at 7 p.m. Virginia will close the Jefferson Cup on Saturday at 7 p.m. against George Mason (2-4).
Admission to all Virginia volleyball matches is free in 2018. In addition, newly installed air conditioning in Memorial Gymnasium will enhance the fan experience on game day. Parking is available free of charge in the Culbreth Garage located off of University Ave.
Links to game coverage can be found at VirginiaSports.com and Saturday’s match versus George Mason will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra, available on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 7 – Youngstown State – 11 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 7 – UNCW – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 8 – George Mason – 7 p.m.
PROMOTIONS
Friday night’s match against UNCW will feature a chalk talk with Virginia head coach Aaron Smith prior to first serve. It is also Cavman’s Crew Night at Memorial Gymnasium with postgame autographs from the Cavaliers.
Saturday will feature free beanies for the first 200 fans in attendance at the Cavaliers’ 7 p.m. match against George Mason. It is also Camper Reunion Night as all who attended a Virginia volleyball camp this year will receive a free concession item at the match. The Cavaliers will once again sign autographs following the match on Saturday.
CAREER DAYS
• Four Cavaliers either set or matched a career high in the win over Northern Kentucky.
• Sarah Billiard (Matthews, N.C.) notched 21 kills to set a new personal best for the sophomore.
• Freshman Grace Turner (Cincinnati, Ohio) knocked down 16 kills and picked up seven digs to set new high-water marks in her young career. Turner also hit a personal-best .289 in the victory.
• Middle blocker Kat Young (Chantilly, Va.) put together her most efficient match as a Hoo, swinging at a .625 clip (11-1-16).
• Kelsey Miller (Crestwood, Ky.) matched her best performance in the orange and blue, racking up 26 digs for the second time in her career.
NO STOPPING NOVAKOVIC
• Junior Jelena Novakovic (Belgrade, Serbia) lit up Northern Illinois with 11 kills, while committing just a single error in 16 swings.
• Her .625 hitting percentage marked a career high and matches the best hitting percentage by a Cavalier this season.
SERIES HISTORY
• George Mason is the most familiar foe in the 2018 Jefferson Cup, as the Cavaliers and Patriots will clash for the 28th time. Virginia holds a 19-8 lead in the all-time series, claiming a 3-0 sweep in the most recent meeting.
• The Cavaliers and Youngstown State are meeting for only the third time when the two sides open the Jefferson Cup on Friday morning. The series is split 1-1.
• Friday evening’s match against UNCW will mark the first time the Cavaliers and Seahawks have met in 29 years. Virginia holds a 3-0 mark all-time in the series.
HOT HANDS
• Virginia’s sweep of Northern Illinois on Saturday came thanks in large part to a prolific offensive output.
• The Cavaliers hit .321 in the match, a season high and the best mark as a team since Nov. 11, 2016.
• Four Cavaliers hit over .400 in the match, led by Novakovic’s career-best .625.
A BREAKTHROUGH W
• Virginia’s victory over Northern Kentucky may not have been pretty, but it may prove to be exactly what the Cavaliers needed. Virginia downed NKU, 3-2, for its first win of the season.
• The victory broke a string of eight-consecutive losses in matches that had gone to five sets. That streak dated to Nov. 13, 2016, when the Cavaliers downed Notre Dame, 3-2, on the road.