Multiple Virginia players Sunday afternoon had standout performances, with a strong service performance from junior setter Hannah Scott and killer attacking play from both freshman outside hitter Reagan Ennist and sophomore right side hitter Becca Wight. However, it was not enough to save the team from a three-set sweep by No. 3 Pittsburgh on the road in Pittsburgh 25-15, 25-19, 25-12.
The second set provided the strongest start for the Cavaliers (10-14, 3-11 ACC) — they managed to take the lead at the start of the set, keeping the Panthers (21-3, 13-1 ACC) on their toes. This was largely thanks to a handful of Pittsburgh attack errors, but these mistakes were rarely repeated for the rest of the matchup. This was also when Scott’s service aces kept Virginia close to the Panthers near the end of the set, but it was not enough on her own to pull the Cavaliers back ahead to take the set.
As for the first and third sets, play was led largely by Pittsburgh, not giving Virginia much hope. The Panthers went on an insane run in the first set and took 12 of the first 16 points, proving exactly why they are deemed one of the best teams in the nation. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, their start was characterized by double the amount of attack errors compared to Pittsburgh, helping their opponent get ahead.
The end of the first set mirrored its start — service, attack and even set errors from Virginia’s side of the court gave the Panthers the final push to take the lead in the matchup with a 10-point gap in the score.
As for the third set, the start was just a little closer. A handful of kills from various players kept Virginia close behind. But the Panthers were not worried — it seemed as if their offense was just taking a temporary breath from the game. They quickly returned to their high level of intensity and executed kill after kill, and the Cavaliers struggled to match each point.
Ennist stepped up more offensively during the final set to try and keep the game close, but her 10 solo attacks throughout the matchup were not enough. Virginia fell in the final set by 13 points and slowly began its drive back to Charlottesville with yet another loss.
In all 14 of the Cavaliers’ conference matchups so far this season, Ennist has led the team in kills. While she is obviously putting in the hard work to try and support her team’s offense, it seems there is a struggle for other players to match her number of attacks on the court. Paired with a handful more errors than their opponents, that dynamic is a recipe for disaster.
Next up, Virginia will continue its time on the road Friday at 7 p.m. to face No. 15 North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C.
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