Volleyball: Cavaliers’ win streak snapped at NC State

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

In its second ACC contest, Virginia had its eight-match win streak snapped Sunday afternoon, falling to NC State (16-25, 25-20, 21-25, 19-25) at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh.

The Cavaliers (11-2, 1-1 ACC) were led by Elayna Duprey (14 kills, .265 Hit%), Abby Tadder (12 kills, 2 aces) and Milan Gomillion (20 digs, 1 ace).

HOW IT HAPPENED

Set 1: NC State 25, Virginia 16
In the opening set, the two squads battled back and forth to a 10-10 tie before the Wolfpack (6-3, 2-0) took control with a 12-4 run in the heart of the set. Back-to-back kills by Duprey cut the NC State advantage to 22-16 before the homestanding Wolfpack ended the set with a 3-0 run.

Set 2: Virginia 25, NC State 20
Setter Ashley Le (28 assists) opened the second set with an ace and set the stage for the Cavaliers to build an early lead. Virginia led by as many as seven points [16-9] in the second frame with the help of four aces in the set. UVA led 19-18 and a kill by Tadder sparked a flurry of UVA points to help the Hoos claim the second.

Set 3: NC State 25, Virginia 21
The tightly-contested play of the first two sets continued after the break as the two teams traded the first 12 points, playing to a 6-6 tie, but State regained momentum with its 6-1 run. UVA battled back and cut its deficit to as little as a three [23-20] when Bowie recorded her fifth block solo of the afternoon. Trailing 23-17, the Cavaliers scored four with Duprey behind the service line for three straight points, but State’s second timeout of the game disrupted the UVA run and State claimed back-to-back points to end the set.

Set 4: NC State 25, Virginia 19
The battle continued deep into the fourth and final frame with nine ties with Virginia taking a lead at 10-9 before the Wolfpack inched ahead for good. Virginia was within striking distance for most of the set until State scored the final four points of the match.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• With an overall record of 11-2, Virginia is off to its best start since 2004.
• It’s only the third time in school history that the Cavaliers have started 11-2 or better. Other years include 2004 and 1998.
• UVA had its eight-match win streak snapped, its longest since 2006.
• The Wolfpack improved to 38-39 in the all-time series with UVA, which began in 1981.
• Lauryn Bowie’s five solo blocks are the most by a Cavalier in a match since 2015 and tied for the sixth most all-time in UVA single-match history.

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers return to Charlottesville to host No. 18 Florida State on Friday at Memorial Gymnasium. First serve against the Seminoles is scheduled for 7 p.m. and admission is free to the public. The match will also stream on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).

On Sunday, the Hoos host No. 25 Miami at John Paul Jones Arena. The upcoming contest marks just the second-ever volleyball match to be contested at JPJ since it opened in 2006. First serve against the Hurricanes is slated for 1 p.m. on ACCNX. Tickets can be purchased at UVAtix.com.