Coming off a split weekend, during which the Virginia women's volleyball team lost to North Carolina but swept N.C. State, the Cavaliers return home to face Wake Forest and Duke on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Virginia's (11-15, 6-9 ACC) four-set loss to the Tar Heels included disappointing set scores of 17-25, 14-25, 25-19 and 16-25.
"Their offense was better than our offense is what it comes down to," Virginia coach Lee Maes said.
Although sophomore outside hitter Simone Asque led Virginia with 12 kills and 12 digs for her fifth double-double of the season, Virginia could not manage to win more than a single set.
"The energy wasn't there for us," junior defensive specialist A.J. Cushman said.
Not only do the Cavaliers hope to redeem themselves after suffering such a lopsided defeat, but the squad also looks to avenge previous road losses to this weekend's opponents.
The Demon Deacons (9-17, 7-8 ACC) defeated Virginia in a four-set match 3-1 on Oct. 3, as the Cavaliers lost momentum after taking the first set.
"They have one player, Kadija Fornah, who's a very talented athlete, carries a big offensive load for them, just as Simone on our team," Maes said.
Virginia narrowly trails the Demon Deacons in the ACC with a 6-9 conference record, and is looking to gain ground before season's end. Defensively, the teams also appear closely matched, as Wake Forest has tallied an average of 15.65 digs per set, while the Cavaliers have notched 15.27.
One area in which Virginia may possess an advantage is serving, as the Cavaliers have earned 1.34 aces per set, compared to the Deacons' 0.89.
In the first match-up against Wake Forest, sophomore middle Carlin Salmon denied seven Virginia attacks. This time, the Cavaliers - especially standout player Asque - will need to exercise caution when attacking the net in Salmon's vicinity.
After battling Wake Forest, Virginia will face Duke on Saturday, which will be senior night for the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers have not defeated the Blue Devils (22-5, 12-3 ACC) since the 2005-06 season. That year, the teams split their two matchups.
"I want nothing more than to beat Duke for our seniors," Cushman said.
Duke is also second in the conference standings, trailing Florida State. In Virginia and Duke's first matchup earlier this season, the Blue Devils swept all three sets by a score of 25-20 in each.
In addition to its strong record, Duke also boasts the lowest opponent hitting percentage in the ACC. Teams that play the Blue Devils only connect on an average of 16 percent of their attacks.
"It's going to be our last home match," Cushman said. "The fire better be there"
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