[caption id="attachment_31459" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Sophomore outside hitter Simone Asque was named ACC Player of the Week after matching her career-high 27 kills while adding a season-best 16 digs against Boston College last weekend.
Hoping to turn its season around after a two-loss weekend, the Virginia women's volleyball team travels this weekend to College Park, Md.
The Virginia volleyball team rounded out another weekend of conference play with two losses to Clemson Friday night and Georgia Tech Saturday. Perhaps a rash of injuries that held back three of the team's most important players can partially explain Virginia's (7-13, 2-7 ACC) latest losses. "We already had two girls who we knew weren't going to be playing in the beginning, and then Lauren [Dickson]'s injury happened on Tuesday," sophomore middle hitter Tess Udall said. Practicing with a new lineup less than a week before the weekend proved difficult for the Cavaliers.
Hoping to improve its disappointing conference record, the Virginia women's volleyball team hosts Clemson and Georgia Tech in Charlottesville this weekend, rounding out a four-game homestand at Memorial Gym. As inconsistent play haunts Virginia (7-11, 2-5 ACC), playing at its home court will hopefully give the team momentum. "It's actually unreal the amount of adversity our team's had to deal with this year," senior defensive specialist Brittani Rendina said.
Although the Virginia volleyball team may be struggling to find consistency in execution, focus and effort, one aspect of the program that will never falter is Memorial Gymnasium. The Cavaliers played on their beloved home court from 1979 until 1998, when renovations began because of a hefty $1.5 million donation.
[caption id="attachment_30863" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sophomore outside hitter Simone Asque totaled 22 kills in the two weekend matches.
[caption id="attachment_30792" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Senior libero Brittani Rendina ranks third on the Cavaliers in digs with 140 this season.
[caption id="attachment_30720" align="alignleft" width="193" caption="Senior outside hitter Lauren Dickson leads the Cavaliers in kills, totaling 165 in 49 sets played.
[caption id="attachment_30628" align="alignleft" width="181" caption="Now in his second season as Virginia's coach, Lee Maes has always encouraged his players to follow three basic rules: continually strive to improve, treat each opponent the same regardless of ranking and always stay in the present.
[caption id="attachment_30507" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Senior outside hitter Tara Hester has seen playing time in 19 sets so far this season.
[caption id="attachment_30378" align="alignleft" width="232" caption="Virginia freshman middle hitter Tobi Farrar's seven kills were not enough against Villanova, as the Cavaliers fell in straight sets to the Wildcats Saturday.
Coming off a momentous weekend in Nebraska, the Virginia volleyball team returns to Memorial Gym to start the two-day Marriott Cavalier Invitational, which will feature Albany, Villanova and in-state rival Virginia Tech. At the Ameritas Players Challenge in Lincoln, Neb.
[caption id="attachment_30078" align="alignleft" width="176" caption="Senior outside hitter Lauren Dickson leads the Cavaliers in kills per set with 3.8, up from her 2008 average of 2.84, which also led the team.
[caption id="attachment_29997" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Virginia volleyball coach Lee Maes joined the program last fall after serving as an assistant coach at Nebraska from 2005 to 2007.
[caption id="attachment_29940" align="alignleft" width="193" caption="Freshman setter Rachel Gray has been an immediate contributor to her team, earning All-Tournament team honors this weekend.
[caption id="attachment_29931" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Senior outside hitter Lauren Dickson is second on the team in kills with 28 after playing all nine sets this weekend.
[caption id="attachment_29871" align="alignleft" width="177" caption="Sophomore Simone Asque's ACC All-Freshman Team performance last season will be a tough act to follow for this year's newcomers.
The Virginia women's volleyball team ended its season-opening weekend in Texas with a record of 1-2.
[caption id="attachment_29796" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Senior outside hitter Lauren Dickson played 108 sets last season, contributing 307 kills and adding 37 service aces to the team's total of 167.
