Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site
Open Search
Women's Volleyball
. Women's Volleyball

Cavaliers Continue ACC Play at Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

ACCNX - Virginia Tech
ACCNX - Wake Forest
Live Stats
UVA Game Notes (PDF)
UVA Volleyball on Twitter
UVA Volleyball on Instagram
UVA Volleyball on Facebook
UVA Sports App

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Coming off its first ACC sweep since 2019, the Virginia volleyball team (10-11, 2-8 ACC) travels to Virginia Tech (9-12, 2-8 ACC) for the annual Commonwealth Clash, presented by Smithfield, on Friday (Oct. 28). First serve from Cassell Coliseum is set for 6 p.m. On Sunday (Oct. 30), the Cavaliers head to Wake Forest for a 1 p.m. tilt in Reynolds Gymnasium.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

  • Both matches will stream on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX) through the ESPN app, which is available through participating TV providers that carry ACC Network.
  • Live stats will also be available for both matches and can be accessed via the Cavaliers’ schedule page on VirginiaSports.com.

SERIES HISTORY

  • Virginia Tech recently took the lead in all-time series (40-37), having won the last three contests against the Cavaliers. The Hokies have won 10 of the last 12 meetings between the two teams.
  • Last season, in the lone Commonwealth Clash, UVA and VT required extra points in the fifth set, which the Hokies won, 16-14, at Memorial Gymnasium. The Cavaliers were led by then-freshman outside hitter Brooklyn Borum, who notched her sixth double-double of the season after posting 11 kills and 11 digs. Despite totaling 31 swings, Borum had just one attack error and was 48-for-50 (.962) in serve receive.
  • Virginia leads the all-time series over the Demon Deacons, 28-26, but has lost the previous three matchups in the series. The Cavaliers’ most recent victory over Wake in Winston-Salem, N.C. was a sweep on Oct. 28, 2018, when UVA recorded 13.0 blocks, which up until last Sunday (Oct. 23) was good for the second most blocks in a three-set match at program history.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Virginia split its pair of home contests against then-No. 2 Louisville (18-25, 15-25, 22-25) on Friday, Oct. 21 and Notre Dame (27-25,25-19,25-19) on Sunday, Oct. 23.
  • The sweep over the Fighting Irish marked UVA’s first in conference play since the 2019 season finale, when it swept the Hokies in Blacksburg on Nov. 27, 2019. In the win, which snapped UND’s five-match win streak in the series, UVA posted a whopping 16.0 blocks in just three sets, good for No. 2 all-time in program history among three-set matches. The Cavaliers were led by middle blocker Abby Tadder, who tied for a match-high eight kills, hit .429 and posted a match-high eight blocks, including a career-best three solo. Outside hitter Grace Turner also had eight kills and chipped in four blocks and nine digs. Middle blocker Veresia Yon accounted for seven blocks – her season high – and ripped six kills on 12 swings.
  • Against second-ranked Louisville, UVA only had 31 kills and suffered nine reception errors, while only acing the Cardinals twice. The Cavaliers were led by Grace Turner, who tallied a match-high 10 kills on 31 swings and finished with eight digs and three block assists. Abby Tadder chipped in eight kills from the middle and tallied a team-best five block assists. The win was Louisville’s 37th consecutive ACC victory, the second-longest conference winning streak at the time, until the Cardinals fell the very next match at then-No. 8 Pittsburgh two days later on Sunday, Oct. 23.

AMAZING GRACE (TURNER)

  • Grace Turner has been a workhorse for the Cavaliers this season. Turner has started in all 21 matches and appeared in all 85 possible sets as a six-rotation outside hitter.
  • She leads the Cavaliers in kills per set (3.31), aces per set (0.39), points per set (3.98) and total receptions (588). Her 3.31 kills per set are good for 10th in the ACC, while her 0.39 aces per set are seventh and her 3.98 points per set are ninth.
  • Turner has posted four 20-kill matches on the season and has done so on back-to-back occasions twice: the first against Charlotte (Sept. 9 & 10) and the second against NC State (Sept. 23) and North Carolina (Sept. 25). Earlier this season, she became the first UVA player to notch back-to-back 20-kill performances since 2016.
  • Turner also leads the Cavaliers with eight career double-doubles, including three this season.
  • In 21 matches this season, Turner has registered 33 aces, which is six more than her total for the 2021 season (27), which was a then-career best in a single season.

THE SHANNON WELLS ERA HAS BEEN A BLOCK PARTY

  • Since Shannon Wells became Virginia volleyball head coach, there have been six matches in which the Cavaliers have tallied at least 15.0 blocks in a single match.
  • In 2022, UVA registered a season-high 17.5 blocks against then-No. 10 Pittsburgh (Sept. 28), which is good for fifth all-time among four-set matches and fourth since the implementation of the rally-scoring format (since 2001). In UVA’s sweep over Notre Dame (Oct. 23) this year, the Cavaliers registered 16.0 blocks, good for second-most all-time in program history among three-set matches.
  • In 2021 – Wells’ first season at the helm – Virginia posted four matches with at least 15.0 blocks, including a season-best 20.0 blocks at Boston College (Nov. 26, 2021), which tied for sixth all-time. The Cavaliers also had 18.0 blocks against Clemson (Oct. 10, 2021), 16.5 blocks in UVA’s lone ACC win of the season at North Carolina (Sept. 26, 2021), and 15.5 blocks at NC State (Sept. 24, 2021).

ABBY TADDER: A PRESENCE IN THE MIDDLE FOR THE HOOS

  • Middle blocker Abby Tadder leads the Cavaliers in hitting percentage (.357), blocks (94) and blocks per set (1.11). Tadder’s .357 hitting percentage is good for sixth in the ACC, while her 1.11 blocks per set are 10th.
  • Tadder had a career day in the Cavaliers’ win over Florida State (Oct. 14), when she posted a career-high 18 kills and hit .517 (18-3-29). Tadder’s 18 kills are the most by a Cavalier middle blocker since Oct. 18, 2015, when Anna Walsh tallied 20 kills at Syracuse.
  • Tadder also led UVA with nine blocks against No. 10 Pittsburgh (Sept. 28), which is tied for third most by an ACC in a single match this season.

THE ACC: THE NATION’S PREMIER VOLLEYBALL CONFERENCE

  • Last season, the Atlantic Coast Conference led all conferences in the nation in both RPI and adjusted RPI.
  • For the first time in league history, two ACC teams (Louisville and Pitt) advanced to the NCAA Volleyball Tournament semifinals in 2021.
  • In addition to the Cardinals and Panthers, Georgia Tech was also one of three ACC teams to advance to the Elite 8, also a first in ACC history.
  • A record-tying six ACC schools made the 2021 NCAA Volleyball Tournament, including No. 1 overall seed Louisville, which won 32 consecutive matches last season.

SEASON OVERVIEW

  • This year marks the 44th season of Virginia Volleyball, which held its inaugural season in 1979.
  • The Hoos are slated to face four AVCA preseason top-25 teams, including three teams ranked in the top 10, in No. 4 Louisville (Oct. 21), No. 6 Pitt (Sept. 28), at No. 9 Georgia Tech (Oct. 7) and at No. 15 Florida (Aug. 27).
  • Virginia’s 2022 schedule consists of seven 2021 NCAA Tournament teams in Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina and Pittsburgh.
  • With a home-and-home series against Virginia Tech, both matches between UVA and the Hokies will be worth 0.5 points toward the Commonwealth Clash standings, presented by Smithfield.
  • The Cavaliers will host 14 home matches in 2022.
  • For the first time in history, Virginia faced Purdue Fort Wayne (Sept. 3) and Mercer (Sept. 16).

Related Stories