Attack Sputters in Loss at Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Virginia (9-13, 1-8 ACC) could not find a rhythm offensively in a 25-18, 25-12, 25-13 loss at Louisville (15-4, 8-1 ACC) on Friday night (Oct. 25).
The Cavaliers made 27 errors in attack, hitting negative-.040 on the night. For its part, Louisville threw down 12 blocks in the match to shut down the Virginia attack.
Sarah Billiard (Matthews, N.C.) led Virginia with nine kills. Freshman Jayna Francis (Virginia Beach, Va.) added six terminations in the loss.
Claire Chaussee paced the Cardinals with 10 kills. Both Anna Stevenson and Amber Stivrins chipped in seven to add to Louisville’s dominant evening.
SET 1: LOUISVILLE 25-18
Virginia held a 12-10 advantage in kills in the opening set but six service errors plagued the Cavaliers. Louisville chipped its way to an 11-7 lead in the early going and never gave the Cavaliers an opportunity to get back in the set. The Cardinals hit .364 in the opening set and committed just two errors.
Louisville sent back four Virginia attacks to help overcome the Cavaliers’ kill advantage in the frame.
SET 2: LOUISVILLE 25-12
After falling behind 6-1 to open the set, Virginia used an identical 6-1 run to tie the set at 7-7. Louisville edged back in front with a 3-0 run, but a Milla Ciprian (St. John’s, Fla.) kill closed the gap to 11-9. That’s when Louisville poured it on with an 11-0 run to open up a 22-9 advantage. The Cardinals went on to the 25-12 victory as Virginia hit negative-.088 in the set.
SET 3: LOUISVILLE 25-13
A pair of Billiard kills staked Virginia to an early 4-1 lead in the third. The advantage was short-lived, however, as the Cardinals leveled the set at 7-7. A 6-1 run by Louisville gave the Cardinals a 15-9 edge. The pivotal run was sparked by a solo block from Amaya Tilman.
Louisville clamped down defensively, forcing 11 Virginia errors in the set to pull away and seal the sweep.
QUICK HITS
• Alex Spencer (North Canton, Ohio) had a team-high 14 digs.
• This was the first time since the 2016 season that Virginia was held to a negative mark in attack.
UP NEXT
Virginia completes the weekend road trip with a 1 p.m. first serve on Sunday (Oct. 27) at Notre Dame.