Virginia Returns Home to Host Liberty
Watch on ACCNX | Live Stats | Game Notes
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –Virginia (3-3) returns to Memorial Gymnasium on Tuesday (Sept. 10) for a 6:30 p.m. matchup against Liberty (3-2) on Teacher Appreciation Night.
The Cavaliers are coming off a 1-2 weekend at the Rutgers Invitational. Senior Jelena Novakovic (Belgrade, Serbia) leads Virginia with 68 kills after recording double-digit kills in each of the three matches at Rutgers.
Liberty enters Tuesday’s tilt having won its last three matches. The Flames swept Elon and Davidson while picking up a four-set win over Virginia Tech as part of the Liberty Invitational.
HOW TO WATCH
Tuesday’s match will air on ACCNX. ACCN is a linear television network and ACCNX is the existing digital platform for additional live events not appearing on ACCN. Both are part of the ESPN app. To access ACCNX, your provider must carry ACCN.
To access ACCN and ACCNX on the ESPN app, fans must sign in with their credentials from a participating TV provider.
SERIES HISTORY
Virginia is looking to avenge a sweep at the hands of Liberty last season in Lynchburg. The Cavaliers were upended for just the second time in the last 33 meetings against the Flames.
In Charlottesville, Virginia has captured 20-straight meetings with the Flames. The only home loss for the Hoos came in 1979. The Cavaliers are 31-4 all-time against Liberty.
FRANCIS FLASHES FIREPOWER
Freshman outside hitter Jayna Francis (Virginia Beach, Va.) gave Virginia a glimpse of its future with her best match to date as a Cavalier against Princeton. Francis floored a season-high 16 kills while hitting .429.
Playing in six rotations, she also showed her defensive prowess, racking up eight digs and performing perfectly in serve-receive.
NO STOPPING NOVAKOVIC
Virginia’s fifth-year right side might have produced her best weekend ever as a Cavalier at the Rutgers Invitational. The southpaw went for 17, 14 and 13 kills in the three matches and set a career-high with 21 points against Princeton.
For the weekend, Novakovic hit .330 off the right side and added 12 total blocks. She now leads Virginia with 68 kills and is averaging 3.09 per set.
MILLA BEING MILLA
Sophomore middle blocker Milla Ciprian (St. John’s, Fla.) has taken her game to another level to open 2019. After a record-setting freshman campaign on the block, she’s rounded her game out with strong attacking to open this season.
Ciprian is averaging an impressive 1.50 blocks per set, with 33 total rejections in six matches. Offensively, she’s already set career highs with 11 kills and a .556 hitting percentage against Princeton. Ciprian is hitting .394 on the season.
UP NEXT
Virginia travels to Ohio this weekend for a three-match tournament beginning Friday, Sept. 13. The Cavaliers will face UConn, College of Charleston and Ohio.