The Virginia women's volleyball team (17-1, 1-1 ACC) were handed a mixed bag of emotions this weekend, suffering their first loss of the season against Wake Forest (11-3, 1-1 ACC) Friday night, then rebounding over Duke (4-10, 0-2 ACC) the next day.
The Demon Deacons snapped the Cavaliers' record, setting a 16-game win streak.
Friday night, the voices of 678 Cavalier fans resonated in the close confines of Memorial Gym. Wake Forest, on the other hand, let their talent speak volumes.
Though Virginia got out front early, winning the first game 26-30, the Demon Deacons managed to pound out 12 aces and maintain a strong .298 kill percentage to take the match 3-1.
Senior middle Shannon Boyle and freshmen outside hitter Lindsay Osco were among the standouts for Virginia, despite the loss. Osco set a career mark with 20 digs, while Boyle managed 10 kills and a team-high six blocks.
Saturday, Virginia looked to come out strong against the Blue Devils and avoid dropping to 0-2 in the ACC. The Cavaliers' came away with a hard fought five-game victory.
"Overall we played well," senior libero Whitney Ashcraft said. "Duke is a great team and they always give us a great match."
Unlike the previous night, Virginia fell behind early, dropping the first game, 30-26. But the Cavaliers recovered, evening the match at one game apiece. The third game saw numerous opportunities for Virginia to pull away and go up by one, but the Cavaliers, who were at one moment leading by six points, failed to stifle a blistering Duke run, losing the game 30-28.
"We started out slow," Ashcraft said. "We were a little tired and tentative, but once we got in a groove, we were the same team we've been all season."
The Cavalier's, unfazed by the third game let down, dominated the final two games, winning the fifth by a score of 7-15.
"We were up and down through the first four games," Ashcraft said. "We just wanted to get out to a quick start [in the fifth set], and answer back to every Duke point."
Five Virginia players recorded double figures in kills. Leading the way was senior outside hitter Paige Davis with 16 kills and Boyle with 14 kills.Ashcraft struggled early but still turned in a strong effort with 26 digs.
The Cavaliers did come away with the win on Saturday, but the squad failed to play up to their full capability.
"We struggled on our side of the net," coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton said. "We were tentative and our hitters lacked the confidence to put it down. We can't let one loss take away our confidence."
Though Virginia stayed strong and was able to fight from behind, it was evident that Friday's loss still weighed heavy on many players' minds.
"We let the loss affect us," Aldrich Shelton said. "It put doubt in our mind about our ability to play at the ACC level. We have to believe in ourselves, and we're too good not to believe."
The Cavaliers now will look to build a new winning streak, as they hit the road to face Clemson and Georgia Tech this weekend.
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