Over the weekend, Virginia traveled to Louisville, Ky. and South Bend, Ind., facing Louisville on Friday and Notre Dame on Sunday. The Cavaliers (8-12, 1-9 ACC) lost both matchups as they were swept by both squads.
On Friday, Virginia started its two-game road trip against Louisville. The Cardinals (19-0, 9-0 ACC) continued their undefeated season by sweeping the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers lost the first set 15-25, the second set 13-25 and the third set 16-25.
Freshman middle blocker Abby Tadder stepped up for the Cavaliers, leading the team in blocks with four, while also hitting .600 for the match.
While the Cavaliers put up a fight, the undefeated No. 2 Cardinals were too much to handle. In dominant fashion, the Cardinals won each set handily.
For the Cardinals, junior middle blocker Amaya Tillman tied for the team-high kills with nine, while also recording four blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Anna DeBeer tied Tillman with nine kills herself.
Louisville had 20 more points than Virginia, showcasing its offensive firepower while recording more kills than the Cavaliers, 39 to 23.
Meanwhile, graduate student middle blocker Alana Walker, sophomore outside hitter Mary Shaffer and senior outside hitter Grace Turner continued their streak of not missing a set this season for the Cavaliers — they each played all 67 sets.
In their Sunday matinee, the Cavaliers faced Notre Dame on the road as well, falling 3-0 in another sweep.
The Cavaliers lost the three sets 13-25, 13-25 and 22-25, respectively as the Fighting Irish (9-11, 6-4 ACC) moved into a three-way tie for fifth place in the ACC standings with North Carolina and NC State.
The first set was never close, as Notre Dame went up 9-2 then rattled off two 4-0 runs, eventually closing out the set 25-13.
In the second, the Cavaliers got off to a good start, tying the set at 4-4. The Fighting Irish again went on a big run, scoring seven in a row and added another pair of 4-0 runs to go up two sets to none on the Cavaliers.
The third set saw a much closer fight, as the Cavaliers were up 22-21 late. Notre Dame won the last four points to seal the set 25-22 and clinch the match.
For the Cavaliers, senior outside hitter Grace Turner notched double-digit digs for the third time this season with 10 digs. Meanwhile, junior outside hitter Jayna Francis led the team with eight kills, seven of which came in the third set.
For the Fighting Irish, senior setter Zoe Nunez posted a double-double, hitting 21 assists and 12 digs, both team-highs.
While their record in ACC play may not show it, the Cavaliers have battled hard this year. Coach Shannon Wells continues to develop chemistry among the group in her first year with the Cavaliers, and the young team will look to earn the all-important win against Virginia Tech this Friday.
The Commonwealth Clash, presented by Smithfield, will take place Friday at 7 p.m. at Memorial Gym. To close out the weekend, the Cavaliers will host Wake Forest Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ACCNX.
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