After recent losses to Boston College and Clemson, Virginia women’s volleyball was unable to return to its winning ways, falling to No. 12 Georgia Tech in a tight five-set matchup Sunday in Memorial Gymnasium. The Cavaliers (8-8, 1-5 ACC) exchanged sets with the Yellow Jackets (14-2, 5-1 ACC) for the first four segments of play, but Virginia would lose the fifth and final set 15-13, a heartbreaking conclusion to an otherwise strong showing against a nationally ranked Georgia Tech team.
Virginia started out slow in the first set, only having registered back-to-back points twice. Georgia Tech was also consistent with their hitting, with a hitting percentage of 0.406. Only having made four hitting errors, the Yellow Jackets gave Virginia very little to work with and would have multiple four-plus point scoring runs. The Yellow Jackets would take the first set 25-11.
The second set would be a different story, with the Cavaliers elevating their offensive game, registering 17 kills. The set was highly contested, with neither team leading by more than two points. Virginia would go on a six-point scoring run to take the second set 25-21 — this marked only the fourth time in program history that the Cavaliers won a set over a top-11 opponent.
Georgia Tech would respond by taking a 5-1 lead in the third set, and the Yellow Jackets would maintain a considerable lead for a large portion of the set, but the Cavaliers would not back down, slowly narrowing the score margin to one at 19-18. The hope for a Virginia comeback to take a 2-1 lead in the match would be dashed by a 5-0 scoring run from Georgia Tech, and the Yellow Jackets would take the third set with a score of 25-21.
The fourth set would see the Cavaliers take control, dashing out to a 15-10 lead thanks to an 8-0 run, marked by a graduate setter Regan Trueblood ace, two kills from junior outside hitter Brooklyn Borum and two blocks from freshman middle blocker Lily Gervase. However, the Yellow Jackets would narrow the gap and tie the set at 19-19. Virginia would stay strong under pressure, winning five of the next six points. A kill from freshman middle blocker Lily Gervase would send the match into a fifth and final set.
The deciding set was marked by the two teams trading leads. A highlight-reel moment was made by junior libero Milan Gomillion, who made a kill off a dig to give the Cavaliers a 6-5 lead in the fifth set. The score would be tied 11-11, giving Virginia a chance to take the victory — however, Georgia Tech would earn four kills in the last six points of the set to win the final set 15-13.
Despite the outcome, the quality the Cavaliers showed Sunday afternoon proves that the program has the potential to develop and grow into a strong program that can be formidable in the ACC. The result marked the first time in program history that the Cavaliers would push a top-15 opponent to five sets. Additionally, many players had their best performances — Borum’s 15 kills matched her career high, Trueblood had a season-high 39 assists and Gomillion tied for a match-high 22 digs. Head Coach Shannon Wells commented on the way the team fought back after a tough loss against Clemson.
“I’m just so proud of this team,” Wells said. “We just keep talking about the potential of this team and I hope we can build momentum off this and continue to work towards our potential.”
The Cavaliers will continue their ACC play on the road with matchups against Notre Dame in South Bend Friday and in Louisville Sunday.
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