As the Virginia volleyball team returned to the court against Maryland for its fifth game of the match Saturday night, a sense of deja vu descended over University Hall. For the second time this season, the resilient Terrapins had overcome an early Cavalier lead to force a tie-breaking fifth game.
Although inconsistent play ended up costing Virginia that first match at College Park on Sept. 25, the Cavaliers refocused Saturday after blowing a 2-0 game lead. Jumping out to a 7-2 lead behind the serving of middle Simona Kuipers, the Cavaliers atoned for their mistakes and won the fifth game, 15-9 ,and the match, 3-2 (30-27, 30-27, 18-30, 24-30, 15-9).
"I'm just so proud of the girls," Virginia coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton said. "They hung together, and even though we got a little nervous in games three and four, they believed in themselves and came back, and that's what we need to do."
The win gave the Cavaliers (6-13, 3-9 ACC) their first conference winning streak of the season, as well as a much-needed confidence boost for the final quarter of the season.
Refusing to be intimidated by Maryland (10-10, 6-6) Virginia stormed through the first two games in impressive fashion. After holding the lead through most of a seesawing first game, the Cavaliers took a 1-0 game lead after a hitting error by Terrapin star middle Willette Dority.
The second game was the Paige Davis Show, as the Virginia sophomore outside hitter recorded eight kills - including the game-winner - and a .571 hitting percentage. Davis led a trio of Virginia hitters with double figures in kills for the match with 13, while outside hitters Katie Synan and Andrea Fischer had 11 and 10 each. Davis also tied outside hitter Jenny Harmon for the team lead with 14 digs on defense.
As the third game opened, Virginia looked like it might sweep Maryland. But the Terrapin rally began with the game knotted at 14, and after a 6-0 run behind the sky-high services of outside hitter Amanda Ayres, the Terrapins took the third game, 30-18.
Virginia's shaky play continued in the fourth game, as it immediately went down, 4-0. With Davis serving, the Cavaliers rallied to pull ahead, 6-4, but the nerves returned and Maryland won again in unopposed fashion, 30-24.
Speaking about the third and fourth games, Aldrich Shelton said that Virginia's early success was a bit unsettling for a team still unaccustomed to finishing other teams off.
"We just got really nervous - especially our outside hitters," Aldrich Shelton said. "Since they pass most off the ball, that affects our middles and our right side. We just got tentative and nervous."
Kuipers and outside hitter Andrea Fischer teamed up for a Cavalier block as the fifth game opened, and a series of Terrapin breakdowns gave Virginia the opportunity to pull ahead. A beautiful short kill by setter Abby Whittenburg and smashes by Synan and Kuipers set the table for Davis on match-point, and as she drove the ball into the floor for the win, the Virginia bench and stands rose in frenetic applause.
"It's a great feeling," Davis said. "We're on an undefeated conference streak right now and we're going to continue moving forward. This is our house and this is what we should be doing. It's great to know that we're a team that can come into our house and take care of" opponents.
"It was great to beat Maryland, especially since they had just come off an incredible win against UNC," co-captain Harmon said. "We would like for it have been at three [games], but five is fine too, as long as you get the W. It's a good confidence booster for us, to know that we can beat a {conference] team other than N.C. State. Hopefully it will carry through the rest of our ACC matches because we get to play almost everybody again. It's a great opportunity to go into the ACC tournament playing strong"
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