Virginia Volleyball Sweeps Virginia Tech on Senior Night

The Cavaliers completed the season sweep of the Hokies on Friday night at Mem Gym

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

Two weeks ago, the Cavaliers went down to Blacksburg and took down the Hokies in a five-set thriller. In the return match at Mem Gym on Friday night, there was much less drama, but UVA still got the job done. Virginia used a dominant first set to seize momentum and went on to earn a three-set sweep over Virginia Tech 25-15, 25-23, 25-22 to complete the season-sweep over the Hokies and earn another half-point for the Cavaliers in the Commonwealth Clash.

A large crowd packed into Memorial Gymnasium for this rivalry match and the Cavaliers gave their fans plenty to cheer about, especially in the first set. The first 16 points were split between the two teams, but then UVA went on a massive run, scoring eight of the next ten points to seize an 18-10 advantage. Virginia cruised to the finish line, taking the first set 25-15 behind a strong hitting percentage of .351. 

UVA bumped that up a notch in set 2, hitting .355. The Hokies had the momentum to start the set, though, taking four of the first five points. Virginia Tech held the lead for nearly the entire set, but the lead narrowed to just two points late in the set, as the Hokies led 23-21. Behind a pair of kills from Grace Turner, Virginia ended the set on a 4-0 run to steal the second frame and take a commanding 2-0 lead. 

Behind three-consecutive aces from freshman Kate Johnson, Virginia built a lead as large as six at multiple points in the third quarter, but the Hokies rallied to make the Cavaliers earn it at the end, tying the set at 21-21. Kills from Grace Turner, Mattison Matthews, and a pair from Brooklyn Borum helped the Hoos end the set on a 4-1 run and clinch the sweep. 

On her senior night at UVA, Grace Turner turned in a stellar performance, registering 19 kills, three digs, and a block. Brooklyn Borum and Abby Tadder each registered seven kills and Gabby Easton ran the offense with precision, recording 36 assists to go along with three kills. Kate Johnson gave the Cavaliers a massive lift from the serving line, registering four aces. 

The large and loud crowd at Mem Gym certainly played a role in giving UVA a home court advantage, as the Cavaliers felt the energy from their fans especially late in the sets. 

With the win, UVA captures another half-point in the Commonwealth Clash. Virginia now leads Virginia Tech 4.5-0.5 in the 2022-2023 Commonwealth Clash. 

Now 12-14 overall and 4-11 in ACC play, Virginia will have a break for a week before hosting Wake Forest in the final home match of the regular season on Sunday, November 20th at 1pm.

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