Virginia volleyball hit the road this weekend, traveling down to the sunshine state to take on UCF on their home court. Although the Cavaliers (3-3, 0-0 ACC) hoped to bounce back after their loss Wednesday evening, the Knights (7-1, 0-0 Big 12) crushed those hopes in three straight sets, 25-22, 25-21, 25-21.
The first set started off disastrous for Virginia, and things did not look like they were going to get better. Immediately, UCF found itself on top, 5-2 — a deficit that was totally manageable for the Cavaliers, but what came next was absolute domination by the Knights. Though Virginia was able to sneak in some points here and there, a 6-0 run by UCF ultimately put them up 15-6. The Cavaliers looked defeated going into the much-needed media timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, a service error not only gave Virginia its first point in five minutes, but also gave the team new life. The Cavaliers began to work their way back, slowly but surely, and made it 23-15. A quartet of errors made by the Knights, a kill by fourth-year outside hitter Lauryn Bowie and a service ace by fourth-year libero Katie Barrier allowed Virginia to go on its own 6-0 run, the score now being 23-21.
Second-year outside hitter Reagan Ennist made it a one-point game with the swing of her arm, giving Cavaliers fans hope for an epic comeback. However, UCF regained its composure, shutting Virginia down with back-to-back kills and finalizing the set at 25-22.
The Cavaliers came out swinging hard in set two, clearly determined to not let the set get away from them early again. Their communication was better, hits felt more intentional and the overall demeanor of the team had improved significantly. Still, the Knights were prepared for the pressure that they were putting on, responding to each point with one of their own.
The points were a mixture of kills and errors, as Virginia did not notch its first ace until halfway through when fourth-year middle blocker Emily Fowler stepped into the rotation. Up 15-14, things were looking good for the Cavaliers, but UCF prevailed, capitalizing on missteps by the defense. Calling a timeout at 23-21, the Knights locked in for their last two points, ending on an ace by freshman opposite hitter Natasha Casey to make it 25-21.
The final set started as if it wasn’t going to be the last one. Virginia went up 8-3 thanks to third-year outside hitter Reese Wuebker leading the charge. Although it seemed that momentum had swayed completely on the Cavaliers’ side, the team began to stumble, allowing UCF to stay in the game.
At 14-13 Virginia, Casey stepped into the serving rotation where she started an incredible 6-0 run for the Knights. The commentators were in awe as she notched three powerful aces to help put her team up 19-14.
But the Cavaliers were not going down without a fight. When Casey finally had a service error, Virginia used it to its advantage, fourth-year setter Hannah Scott giving both Wuebker and Ennist the assist. At 22-20, the Cavaliers seemed to lose the charge they had before, allowing UCF to run away with it. The Knights won in a block by Casey, the final score being 25-21.
Overall, UCF got better with each set — their swings got harder, their serves were stronger and their demeanor seemed more and more poised even when they were down. Each set, the Knights had better stats, particularly in the third set when they had seven blocks compared to the Cavaliers’ one.
This loss follows the common theme of Virginia volleyball’s losses — putting their foot on the gas too late. Though many teams struggle to get going early, it seems to be the Cavaliers’ fatal flaw, even if they were able to work their way back in the first set. Virginia will return to the court against George Washington Tuesday at 5 p.m., hopefully ready to set the tone early.
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