Transitioning to a new gymnasium, going quickly from blocking to digging, staying in the game when an opponent comes back — all these adaptations can be a struggle. But Virginia managed, in its home opener Thursday against VCU, to turn this mutability into a strength.
“You just saw a lot of grittiness from everybody, and everyone’s stepping up in some really big ways,” Coach Shannon Wells said.
Thursday’s match against the Rams (1-2, 0-0 A10) was one where the Cavaliers (4-0, 0-0 ACC) proved their flexibility as a team, winning 25-20, 25-13, 16-25, 25-23. It was their first home match of the season, and it also their first time this season playing at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. Virginia had a strong start on the road at the D.C. Challenge last weekend, but the challenge of playing away from the familiar Memorial Gymnasium, closed for renovation, might have been a problem.
It turned out that it was not a problem at all. If anything, having the crowd close to the court, packed to the brim and cheering at every block, strike and dig, pushed the Cavaliers harder. It was like Virginia had played at the AFC all along.
“Home to us is where our family is,” Wells said. “And as long as we keep having crowds like this, and they come out and support us … we’re going to make this place our home.”
This support showed its effect in the Cavaliers’ first couple of sets — their hits seemed to fly with extra speed. Every spike sent VCU’s libero backbending in an attempt to keep the ball in play.
Each player showed her individual grit as well. Senior outside hitter Kadynce Boothe was always at the net, spiking or blocking every ball that came her way. Even if a block did not go the way she wanted, she almost always reacted and got it back up in the air.
Freshman outside hitter Reagan Ennist played as if she had been on the team for years already, posting the third-highest number of kills for the night.
There was even a moment where senior middle blocker Jasmine Robinson got hit in the side of the face by a spiked ball, but she did not let it throw her off her game for a second. She played through the point and the one after, then was substituted out just to go right back in a few minutes later. The entire team had moments like this, where toughness came naturally and coaches did not have to ask for it.
The ultimate example, though, came in during the third and fourth sets of the game. A matchup’s tune can change quickly, and this one was no different. After winning the first two sets, the Cavaliers were in a great position, but the Rams were not done fighting. They built incredible momentum in the third set and took it in the blink of an eye, leaving Virginia only a moment to catch its breath.
“We [talk] about who we want to be in our toughest moments,” Wells said. “And one of the words they use is gritty … Right now we’re just trying to win each point.”
The Cavaliers pushed through to take the victory, winning the final set by two points after dropping the third pretty significantly. It was not easy, and at times it was not pretty. But Virginia knew what it needed to do to walk away with a win.
Saturday, the Cavaliers will face Appalachian State at 2 p.m., once again at the AFC. Now comfortable in their new home, Virginia will try to build on its opening performance.
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