If Virginia volleyball’s first season under coach Lee Maes can be described as a roller coaster, the team just hit another disorienting loop.
The Cavaliers (13-10, 5-6 ACC) began the weekend Friday by pulling a stunning comeback victory against then-conference-leader Miami to extend its winning streak to two before falling in a deflating sweep to up-and-coming Florida State Saturday.
Virginia’s 3-2 (19-25, 25-27, 25-13, 25-22, 15-13) victory against Miami in Memorial Gymnasium came in front of a fired-up crowd of 315. Though the Cavaliers kept pace with the Hurricanes through the first two sets, it would have been difficult for anyone to predict what happened next. In the third set, the Cavaliers trounced Miami by 12 points, their largest margin of victory in conference play this year.
“The third game was awesome,” sophomore middle blocker Sydney Hill said. “There was so much momentum, and everyone started playing as a team.”
The fourth and fifth frames were both close, but the Cavaliers managed to hold on and topple the Hurricanes, who now sit fourth in the conference.
Leading the fight for the Cavaliers were the consistent top performers. Senior middle blocker Shannon Davis, junior outside hitter Lauren Dickson and the constantly improving freshman outside hitter Simone Asque all hit 13 kills apiece.
Senior setter Marlow Bruneau put up a team-leading .429 hitting percentage to accompany her 18 assists. Bruneau and sophomore setter Kelly Irvin’s effective passing were key in the Cavaliers’ turnaround Friday.
“It was really rewarding to get a win like that,” Maes said. “Especially after being down two sets and winning the next three.”
Virginia hoped to carry the inspired level of play from its comeback victory to another big win Saturday evening against the Seminoles, but junior middle blocker Brianna Barry and the crew from Tallahassee, Fla., had other plans. Florida State won the match 3-0 (22-25, 23-25, 24-26) with clean and explosive play.
“It was definitely exciting for us,” Barry said. “We were kind of on a roll, and this team, we came together so strong this time.”
The Seminoles, like the Cavaliers, have a middling conference record and have had trouble finishing off sets and matches. With two consecutive 3-0 victories, Florida State believes it is finding the consistency it seeks, said Barry, who is third in the ACC in hitting percentage.
“Now that the ACC, the first half is over with, we’ll be able to play the same teams that we have,” Barry said. “We’ll be able to game-plan against them more because now we’ll understand their tendencies and whatnot.”
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are still stuck on the roller coaster and are trying to make the second half of the ride less bumpy than the first. The Cavaliers will not have to play any new opponent they have not already faced this season, something Maes called “comforting.”
In a meeting Maes called after Saturday’s match, the coach sought to put the first half of the season in perspective and to inspire the Cavaliers to keep fighting in the face of adversity.
“We just have to play with a sense of urgency and focus,” Maes said, following the meeting. “We feel confident that we are able to prepare for anyone in the conference.”
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