The Virginia volleyball team finished a dual-match weekend cleanly when it spiked N.C. State Saturday night at Memorial Gymnasium.
After a four-game losing streak, the Cavaliers shut out the Wolfpack (9-21, 3-12 ACC) with a score of 3-0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-18) as they enter their last five regular season matches.
Virginia (14-13, 6-9 ACC) had a tough night Friday, losing to North Carolina (17-9, 11-4 ACC) in a close contest. The team came up short by not efficiently executing its game plan collectively, though individual performances were strong.
Freshman outside hitter Simone Asque continued to develop on the court as she topped out with a team-high 16 kills. Fifth-year senior outside hitter Beth Shelton completed a season-high 21 digs to pair with her 15 kills for the night. At the net, sophomore middle Sydney Hill blocked six attacks, a high for the match, while senior middle Shannon Davis added five blocks of her own.
After falling behind 0-2, the team forced North Carolina into a fifth set but could not keep the Tar Heels from the 3-2 (25-23, 25-20, 25-27, 22-25, 15-7) victory. The close scores reflect the Cavaliers’ diligence through each point, though at times the team struggled to stop North Carolina scoring rallies. In the first set, the Tar Heels led 18-10 before Virginia rallied to bring the score to 24-22. Tied at 17 in the second set, North Carolina went on a 6-1 run, ultimately taking the game 25-20.
“One of the things that was really important for us tonight [Saturday night] as opposed to last night versus North Carolina was that we challenge the team to have a more competitive response, and to not give up consecutive points, which has been a trend,” coach Lee Maes said. “If we’re going to be competitive, we’re going to have to challenge them and say, ‘enough is enough and we’re going to do something about it.’”
With the Tar Heel 12-2 fifth-set lead fresh in their minds, the Cavaliers did something about it: Virginia swept the Wolfpack 3-0 behind a strong collective effort, which included playing through tight moments in the second set when N.C. State threatened. The two squads tied 11 times and traded the lead seven times in the second frame.
With 19 kills, Shelton leveled with a previous career high, boosting her kill percentage to .417, a season-best. Junior defensive specialist/libero Brittani Rendina also added a match-high 18 digs. Sophomore setter Kelly Irvin and senior setter Marlow Bruneau teamed up to lead Virginia in assists with 18 and 16, respectively.
As her performance this weekend has demonstrated, Asque, who added 12 kills against the Wolfpack, has made quite a name for herself offensively during her first season of collegiate play.
“She’s a wonderful dynamic athlete, and she’s continually improving on the fundamentals,” Maes said. “We’re asking her to do a lot of well-rounded things in all facets of the game. She’s continually learning to be more efficient, and that’s the biggest thing we’re looking for her to be whether it’s offensively or just how she handles the rest of the game. We want her to limit unforced errors and continue going out there and doing her job.”
Asque’s success this season can be partly attributed to Davis’ tough love and constant good example. Davis has been a fixed model of the type of player the coaches expect and she persistently drives her teammates to reach the same plane both on and off the court.
“When I came in as a first-year, [Shannon] intimidated me a little bit,” Asque said. “Sometimes she will take command and kick you in gear, but I don’t take it personally because I know she’s helping me and I need that. She really takes control and pushes us forward to be better.”
Refreshed after ending a four-game losing streak, the team will push harder than ever to reach the level of competition they expect from themselves on a match-to-match basis.
“Our goal is to win every match,” Maes said. “You play this game to win, and our mentality needs to be that way. It doesn’t matter who the opponent’s going to be — we’re playing to win and we have to prepare and train as if that’s our expectation.”
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