Volleyball
What: Virginia (11-4, 3-1 ACC) at North Carolina (7-8, 4-1 ACC) and NC State (12-5, 1-4 ACC)
Where: Chapel Hill and Raleigh, N.C.
When: Friday, 6 p.m.; Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
The Skinny: The Virginia volleyball team visits ACC foes North Carolina and NC State this Friday and Saturday night. The Cavaliers (11-4, 3-1 ACC) — who are coming off wins over Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech — came in at No. 34 in Monday’s NCAA RPI release.
North Carolina has won 44 of 58 matches against Virginia, including 11 in a row dating back to October 2008. But the Cavaliers already broke a 17-match losing streak against Duke earlier this season and have won six of their last seven matches.
The Tar Heels (7-8, 4-1 ACC) are also hot with three consecutive straight-set wins and five victories in seven matches since mid-September. Senior middle hitters Paige Neuenfeldt and Victoria McPherson, both all-conference honorees last year, lead the North Carolina attack.
NC State, by contrast, has hit a rough patch in ACC play, dropping four of five conference matches, the latest a 3-0 defeat against the Tar Heels. The Wolfpack (12-5, 1-4 ACC) boast a dominant server in senior middle blocker Morgan Cormier, who ranks second in the ACC in aces per set behind Virginia senior outside hitter Kayla Sears
First serve against the Tar Heels is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, and the NC State match gets going Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
—compiled by Matthew Morris
Field hockey
What: No. 5 Virginia (9-2, 2-2 ACC) at No. 7 Wake Forest (10-2, 3-0 ACC) and No. 15 Old Dominion (6-3)
Where: Winston-Salem, N.C. and Norfolk, Va
When: Friday, 6 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.
The Skinny: The Virginia field hockey team opened the 2015 season with eight consecutive wins before suffering back-to-back losses against No. 1 Syracuse and No. 3 North Carolina. But after returning to the win column against Richmond, the No. 5 Cavaliers (9-2, 2-2 ACC) match up with two more ranked opponents Wake Forest and Old Dominion this weekend.
The No. 7 Demon Deacons (10-2, 3-0 ACC), Virginia’s Friday-evening opponent, have won five consecutive games, though four of those victories came by a single goal. Wake Forest’s most recent victim, No. 10 Boston College, fell by a 3-2 final score after senior forward Krysta Wangerin scored with 6:32 remaining in regulation. Wangerin ranks third on her team in points, trailing only forwards senior Jess Newak and freshman Jule Grashoff.
No. 15 Old Dominion (6-3) is actually the last team to defeat the Demon Deacons. The Monarchs edged then-No. 8 Wake Forest, 3-2, in overtime Sept. 18. Coach Andrew Griffiths’ team also topped then-No. 7 Penn State — who has since dropped out of the top 25 — in late August.
Faceoffs against Wake Forest and Old Dominion are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Sunday, respectively.
—compiled by Matthew Morris
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