UVA Records 17.5 Blocks in 3-1 Loss to No. 10 Pitt

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – After hitting .423 and winning set No. 1, the Virginia volleyball team (8-6, 0-3 ACC) fell to No. 10 Pittsburgh (12-2, 3-0 ACC), 25-23, 19-25, 16-25, 15-25, in Memorial Gymnasium Wednesday night (Sept. 28).

Virginia totaled 17.5 blocks, which tied for fifth-most in program history in a four-set match. Last season, the Cavaliers also registered 17.5 total blocks in UVA’s 3-1 victory at North Carolina on Sept. 26, 2021.

Grace Turner led all UVA players with 16 kills and six blocks, while Abby Tadder posted a career-high nine blocks, including one solo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Virginia won the first, 25-23, which marked the program’s first-ever win over a top-10 opponent. The Cavaliers posted 14 kills and had just three attack errors in the opening frame. Despite six tied scores, Virginia never trailed during the set. The Cavaliers led 23-20 late in the game before Pitt scored back-to-back points to cut the UVA lead to one, 23-22. With the Panthers in striking distance, Turner went on to notch Virginia’s final three kills of the frame to help deliver the set win.
• Both teams exchanged 6-0 runs in the middle of the second after which the Panthers led, 13-9. In the back half of game No. 2, Virginia could not make up the difference as the Panthers did not allow UVA to score back-to-back points during the final 15 plays of the set, which Pitt won 25-19. Turner posted seven of her 16 kills in the second, but only recorded four for the remainder of the match.
• Coming out of the break, neither team led by more than three for most of the set. Pitt clung to a one-point lead, 17-16, before the Panthers scored the last eight points to close out the game, 25-16.
• Carrying its momentum into the fourth, Pitt leaped out to a 12-3 lead. Later, Virginia cut the Panthers’ lead to as little as five, but Pitt closed out the match by scoring seven of the last 10 points to win the set, 25-15, and the match, 3-1. For the second straight set, Virginia hit in the red, finishing game No. 4 with just five kills, which were overshadowed by eight attack errors.

 NOTES

• With its 25-23 win in game No. 1, the Cavaliers claimed the program’s second-ever set win over a top-10 opponent. The first time UVA won a set over a top-10 opponent was on Sept. 11, 2009 against No. 8 UCLA. Prior to Wednesday night’s set No. 1 win over the Panthers, Virginia had lost in straight sets to its last seven top-10 foes.
• Virginia’s 17.5 team blocks tied for fifth all-time in program history among four-set matches. It’s also tied for fourth among four-set matches after the implementation of the rally-scoring format (since 2001).
• For the 11^th time this season, outside hitter Grace Turner led the Cavaliers in kills, finishing Wednesday’s contest with 16, a match high. She also finished with 21.5 points, which marks the third straight match in which Turner has tallied at least 20.0 points.
• Middle blocker Abby Tadder set a career-high and match-high with nine blocks, including one solo. Tadder’s nine blocks are the most by a Cavalier in a single match since Sept. 26, 2021, when Tadder’s former teammate Alana Walker rejected 11 attacks at North Carolina.
• With 11 assists and 10 digs, setter Ashley Le registered her fifth career double-double.

UP NEXT
Virginia travels to Duke (9-4, 0-2 ACC) for its first ACC road contest of the season on Sunday (Oct. 2). First serve from Cameron Indoor Stadium is set for 4 p.m. on ACC Network.