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Volleyball downs Pitt, Virginia Tech in ACC home openers

Back at Memorial Gymnasium after three weekends on the road, the Virginia volleyball team defeated ACC rivals Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech Friday and Saturday night in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers (11-4, 3-1 ACC) downed both the Panthers and Hokies in four sets, avenging a pair of home losses suffered last November.

Pittsburgh (12-4, 2-2 ACC) came into Friday night’s match having received votes in the Sept. 28 AVCA Coaches Poll. The Panthers led early on, snagging the first set 27-25, when sophomore outside hitter Mariah Bell put down a kill. But after falling behind 14-5 in the second set, Virginia flipped the script, producing a 20-7 run to level the match.

The Cavaliers kept their foot on the gas from there, pulling out a tight third set, 27-25, and twice rallying from set point down in a 28-26 fourth.

Senior middle hitter Natalie Bausback starred for Virginia, registering a 17-kill, 13-dig double-double. Senior outside hitter Kayla Sears controlled play with her serve, picking up nine aces to tie the Virginia record for a single match.

Virginia dropped the first set once more Saturday night against the Hokies (11-5, 2-2 ACC) — and again the Cavaliers rallied, this time before a capacity crowd of 1,081 fans. After dropping the first set, 25-21, Virginia turned the tables to remain undefeated at home through five matches.

Coach Dennis Hohenshelt’s team had three players — Bausback, junior outside hitter Haley Kole and freshman outside hitter Anna Walsh — in double figures in kills. Senior setter Lauren Fuller, meanwhile, recorded 49 assists and a team-high 14 digs for her second double-double of the season.

Walsh’s team-best 15 kills came on a hyper-efficient .481 attack percentage. The Grapevine, Texas native earned her third consecutive ACC Freshman of the Week honor Monday.

Virginia hits the road again this weekend, matching up with North Carolina and NC State in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, North Carolina, respectively. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

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