The ACC is finally starting to settle down. Clemson, last year’s conference champion, has stormed back to the top of the standings. Virginia Tech, which began the conference schedule with an unlikely run of victories and was the last team to lose a conference game, has cooled back down toward the middle of the conference. And Virginia, which has broken out with big games against some of the top teams but has never been able to find a constant groove, sits at a disappointing ninth place.
The Cavaliers (13-12, 5-8 ACC) will look to tip momentum back in their favor with a strong performance this weekend at home against a pair of North Carolina schools.
North Carolina (15-9, 9-4 ACC) comes to Memorial Gym tonight at 7 p.m., attempting to avenge a loss at Chapel Hill to the Cavaliers earlier this season and to boost their tied-second place record to first in the conference.
N.C. State (9-19, 3-10 ACC) comes to Charlottesville for a Saturday match at 7 p.m. The Wolfpack sit two games, but only one position, behind the Cavaliers in the conference ranking. The last time N.C. State and Virginia met was Oct. 11, when the Wolfpack won in four games.
The Cavaliers hope to take a stride toward consistency this weekend with a victory against either or both teams, but the team knows neither of its opponents will go down without a fight.
“I think everybody in the conference knows it’s going to be extremely competitive each night,” Virginia coach Lee Maes said.
Virginia is currently in the midst of a three-game losing streak, the team’s longest since 2003. With home-court advantage, the Cavaliers hope to end the drought of wins, though freshman outside hitter Simone Asque says she focuses on the team and the game, not her surroundings.
“I’ve found that when I’m playing, I always tune out the crowd,” Asque said. “I always try to focus on the coaches and what they’re saying.”
Playing at home has helped the Cavaliers so far this season, but it has not guaranteed victory. Virginia is 5-4 at home compared to 8-8 on the road.
During the recent three-game losing streak, the Cavaliers’ level of production has fallen. In two of the three matches, Virginia has hit a percentage worse than its season average, including a .096 against Clemson last weekend, the second lowest mark of the season for the team.
One bright spot for the team in recent weeks has been Asque, who has quickly emerged as one of the biggest threats on the Cavaliers. She ranks second on the team in kills per set at 2.65, behind only Lauren Dickson’s 2.98.
The Cavaliers have only seven matches left in the regular season. Following this weekend, Virginia has another weekend of home matches followed by a weekend of away matches at Wake Forest and Duke. The Cavaliers end their conference schedule Thanksgiving week with a Nov. 28 match against Virginia Tech.
ACC volleyball has no conference tournament, so the Cavaliers’ hopes of winning an ACC title appear fainter than ever. But with seven matches remaining, Virginia refuses to give up hope of ending the season successfully.
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