Hoos Collect Sixth Straight Victory with Four-Set Win Over MTSU

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia volleyball’s terrific start to its 2024 campaign did not waver Tuesday evening (Sept. 17) as the Cavaliers (9-1) defeated Middle Tennessee State (3-7), 25-22, 22-25, 26-24, 25-21, at Memorial Gymnasium.

Virginia was led Abby Tadder (16 kills, 8 blocks), Brooklyn Borum (12 kills, 0 errors, .316 Hit%, 6 blocks) and Ashley Le (28 assists, 17 digs).

For the first time since 2003 and fourth time in program history, UVA has won nine of its first 10 matches. The Cavaliers are also riding a six-match win streak heading into tomorrow’s non-conference finale, a rematch against the Blue Raiders.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Set 1: Virginia 25, MTSU 22
Despite four tied scores, Virginia never trailed in the opening game. The Cavaliers led by as many as six points [20-14], when MTSU orchestrated a 6-1 run to trim the UVA lead to one. UVA’s offense connected on four kills from four different hitters, including Elayna Duprey (8 kills) who notched seven kills on 10 swings in the opening frame. With the help of Duprey, the Cavaliers hit .394 and totaled 16 terminations.

Set 2: MTSU 25, Virginia 22
The Cavaliers struggled to get in a rhythm offensively after tallying 10 attack errors and two reception errors in the second. Borum tried to make things happen for the Hoos as she had four kills on seven swings and did not surrender an error on 10 serve receptions. Tadder put down three of her six swings in game No. 2. UVA squandered a 12-5 lead after the Blue Raiders embarked on a 9-2 run. UVA tied the frame [21-21], but MTSU scored four of the last five points to take the second and even the match in the process.

Set 3: Virginia 26, MTSU 24
Four of the match’s five challenges came in set No. 3. UVA had set point [24-23] and after it had seemingly sealed the set win, but the officials called UVA in the net after a successful challenge by the MTSU head coach. Le made a remarkable play on what became the decisive set point in which she dove into the UVA bench to keep the ball in play. The fourth saw 14 tied scores and nine lead changes. Tadder had six kills and two block assists, while Le had eight digs.

Set 4: Virginia 25, MTSU 21
Borum (4), Tadder (4) and Kadynce Boothe (5), who started the last two sets, combined for 13 of the Cavaliers’ 15 total kills in game No. 4. After splitting setting duties in the first three sets with Zoey Dood, Le stayed on the floor for the duration of the fourth and collected her sixth career block solo midway through the frame. The Cavaliers leaped out to a nine-point lead [13-4] after a flurry of attack errors, many of which were rejections by the UVA front row. The Blue Raiders closed the gap to within three late in the set, but Boothe’s fifth kill followed by an MTSU attack error sealed the set and match for the Hoos.

WITH THE WIN…

• UVA is off to its best start (9-1) for the first time since 2003.
• It’s also only the fourth time in school history UVA has started 9-1 or better … other years include, 2003, 1998 and 1996.
• Virginia improved to 2-0 in the all-time series with MTSU. The only other time the two teams went head-to-head was when UVA defeated the Blue Raiders in four sets (7-15, 15-10, 15-10, 15-3) on Sept. 9, 2000, the last year of the sideout scoring system.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Brooklyn Borum’s six total blocks matched her career high, and her six block assists are a career best.
• Ashley Le recorded her sixth career block solo in the fourth.
• Four of the match’s five total challenges were in set No. 3.
• The third set had 14 tied scores and nine lead changes.

ON THE HORIZON
UVA takes on the Blue Raiders in a rematch on Wednesday (Sept. 18) at 6:30 p.m. Tomorrow’s contest is slated to stream on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).