The Virginia volleyball team experienced a disappointing weekend on the road, dropping matches against both Clemson and Georgia Tech, 3-1 and 3-0, respectivey.
The Cavaliers (13-14, 7-10 ACC) started off strong Friday night against the Tigers but could not maintain its momentum. The teams were tied at 23 during the first set before a kill by freshman libero Emily Rottman and a combined block by junior outside hitter Simone Asque and sophomore middle hitter Jess O'Shoney led the Cavaliers to a 25-23 win.
The second set was tight until Clemson went on a 8-1 run to go up 22-14. Virginia could not close the gap and dropped the set 25-16. Asque's first kill during the second set marked the 1,000th kill of her career, making her the 15th Cavalier in program history to reach that milestone.
Virginia fought back hard in the third set, tying the Tigers 17 times and eventually knotting the score at 20. Clemson went up 24-21, but the Cavaliers rallied to take a 27-26 lead. The Tigers responded with three straight points to take the set 29-27.
Clemson carried the momentum to set four, making it nearly impossible for Virginia to take the lead. The Tigers went up 16-6 and continued to pound the Cavaliers to secure the 25-21 win.
Asque and freshman outside hitter McKenzie Adams led the offense with 13 kills apiece, and senior defensive specialist A.J. Cushman carried the defensive load with 19 digs.
Yesterday's matchup against Georgia Tech provided Virginia with an opportunity for redemption, particularly given that the Yellow Jackets had defeated the Cavaliers a month earlier in Charlottesville. The competitive Yellow Jackets were once again too much for the Cavaliers, however, as they swept Virginia with set scores of 25-16, 25-23 and 25-23.
Asque again carried the offensive load with nine kills, followed by Adams with seven and O'Shoney with four. Defensively, O'Shoney tallied three blocks and Cushman had 12 digs.
Virginia looks to rebound next weekend on the road, taking on Wake Forest Friday, followed by Duke Saturday night.
-compiled by Abbey Hendricks
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