CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – After hitting .423 and winning set No. 1, the Virginia volleyball team (8-6, 0-3 ACC) fell to No. 10 Pittsburgh (12-2, 3-0 ACC), 25-23, 19-25, 16-25, 15-25, in Memorial Gymnasium Wednesday night (Sept. 28).
Virginia totaled 17.5 blocks, which tied for fifth-most in program history in a four-set match. Last season, the Cavaliers also registered 17.5 total blocks in UVA’s 3-1 victory at North Carolina on Sept. 26, 2021.
Grace Turner led all UVA players with 16 kills and six blocks, while Abby Tadder posted a career-high nine blocks, including one solo.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Virginia won the first, 25-23, which marked the program’s first-ever win over a top-10 opponent. The Cavaliers posted 14 kills and had just three attack errors in the opening frame. Despite six tied scores, Virginia never trailed during the set. The Cavaliers led 23-20 late in the game before Pitt scored back-to-back points to cut the UVA lead to one, 23-22. With the Panthers in striking distance, Turner went on to notch Virginia’s final three kills of the frame to help deliver the set win.
- Both teams exchanged 6-0 runs in the middle of the second after which the Panthers led, 13-9. In the back half of game No. 2, Virginia could not make up the difference as the Panthers did not allow UVA to score back-to-back points during the final 15 plays of the set, which Pitt won 25-19. Turner posted seven of her 16 kills in the second, but only recorded four for the remainder of the match.
- Coming out of the break, neither team led by more than three for most of the set. Pitt clung to a one-point lead, 17-16, before the Panthers scored the last eight points to close out the game, 25-16.
- Carrying its momentum into the fourth, Pitt leaped out to a 12-3 lead. Later, Virginia cut the Panthers’ lead to as little as five, but Pitt closed out the match by scoring seven of the last 10 points to win the set, 25-15, and the match, 3-1. For the second straight set, Virginia hit in the red, finishing game No. 4 with just five kills, which were overshadowed by eight attack errors.
NOTES
- With its 25-23 win in game No. 1, the Cavaliers claimed the program’s first-ever set win over a top-10 opponent. Virginia had lost its previous 51 sets against 17 foes ranked in the top 10 all-time.
- Virginia’s 17.5 team blocks tied for fifth all-time in program history among four-set matches. It’s also tied for fourth among four-set matches after the implementation of the…