Virginia Goes Cold in Loss to NC State
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (9-11, 1-6 ACC) fell to NC State (8-11, 3-4 ACC) 25-21, 25-21, 22-25, 25-18 on Friday night (Oct. 18) in Memorial Gymnasium.
Sophomore middle blocker Milla Ciprian (St. John’s, Fla.) powered Virginia with a career-high 16 kills while hitting .481 in the match. Junior Sarah Billiard (Matthews, N.C.) and senior Jelena Novakovic (Belgrade, Serbia) joined Ciprian in double figures with 13 and 10 kills, respectively.
NC State had four players finish with double-digit kills, led by Jessica Kemp with 14 terminations. Lauryn Terry added 13, Melissa Evans 12 and Jade Parchment 10 to round out the Wolfpack attack.
SET 1: NC State 25-21
Virginia outhit NC State in the opening set but the Wolfpack used a pair of aces and capitalized on three Virginia service errors to turn the set. NC State opened a 9-4 lead out of the gate with a 5-0 run featuring both aces.
Virginia slowly chipped away behind five kills from Ciprian and pulled within a single point at 21-20 on a Christine Jarman (Boynton Beach, Fla.) termination. NC State, however, scored four of the next five points to claim the set.
SET 2: NC State 25-21
Each side produced 11 kills in the second set but Virginia erred 11 times, four more than the Wolfpack, to account for the crucial points. The Cavaliers built an early 9-7 lead before NC State used a 7-0 run to take a commanding 16-11 edge. Virginia climbed within reach at 22-20 behind one of Ciprian’s four kills in the set but back-to-back attack errors from the Cavaliers handed NC State a 2-0 lead in the match.
SET 3: Virginia 25-22
In the third, it was Virginia’s turn to capture an upside-down set with a strong service game. NC State outhit the Cavaliers but Virginia racked up five service aces to extend the match. Ciprian and Novakovic each had a pair of aces in the frame while Alex Spencer (North Canton, Ohio) added the fifth.
After a tight beginning, Novakovic’s service ace built a 16-13 lead for the Cavaliers. NC State closed within 23-22, but Ciprian produced both of her aces at the most critical time to close the set.
SET 4: NC State 25-18
The Wolfpack found their offensive stride, hitting .419 to seal the match. NC State had 14 kills in the set, six from Kemp and four from Evans. Meanwhile, Virginia committed eight attack errors and hit just .118.
The Wolfpack gradually built its lead, reaching 15 with a four-point cushion. Moments later, a 4-0 run doubled the NC State advantage and put the match away. Kemp sparked the run with an ace.
QUICK HITS
• Spencer recorded 17 digs to lead the match.
• Maddie Boylston (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) recorded her first career double-double with 19 assists and a career-high 14 digs.
• Billiard added a pair of service aces and three blocks to her 13-kill performance.
UP NEXT
Virginia hosts North Carolina on Sunday (Oct. 20) at 1 p.m. for Girl Scout Day in Memorial Gymnasium.