WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Coming off back-to-back ACC wins, the Virginia volleyball team (11-12, 3-9 ACC) fell, 16-25, 20-25, 23-25, at Wake Forest (13-10, 5-7 ACC) on Sunday (Oct. 30) in Reynolds Gymnasium.
The Cavaliers were led by middle blocker Abby Tadder, who posted a team-high eight kills with just one attack error on 12 swings to hit .583.
For the match, the Demon Deacons recorded 11 service aces, while UVA had nine service errors. Wake Forest hit .358 – the highest hitting percentage by an ACC opponent this season – with 41 kills and just 12 errors.
Set 1: Wake Forest 25, Virginia 16
The Demon Deacons leaped out to a 5-0 lead to start the match after registering three of their six total service aces of set No. 1 during the first five plays. Wake had a pair of four-point unanswered runs later in the set as the Demon Deacons took their largest lead of the game at 24-15 before ultimately winning, 25-16. Tadder led all UVA hitters with three kills on four swings in the first.
Set 2: Wake Forest 25, Virginia 20
Tadder came up with the Cavaliers’ first ace of the second to cut the Wake lead to 14-12. After that, the Demon Deacons put together a pair of 3-0 scoring runs to eventually secure a 21-15 lead. UVA struggled to get into a groove offensively as the Demon Deacons sided out on 62.5 percent of Cavalier serves.
Set 3: Wake Forest 25, Virginia 23
After winning the first point of set No. 3, Virginia grasped its first lead of the match. The Demon Deacons put together a 7-0 run later in the set to lead it, 9-3. The Cavaliers responded with six unanswered scores –including a pair of kills and a block assist by Tadder – to later tie the set at 11 apiece. The two teams were neck-and-neck for the remainder of the set, but Wake won three of the last four points to win the set, 25-23, and match in sweeping fashion.
NOTES
- In her 55th collegiate match, Simone Dominique made her first career start in Sunday’s contest.
- Wake Forest’s 11 service aces tied for the most by a UVA opponent this season in a three-set match. Then-No. 15 Florida also had 11 aces in the Cavaliers’ third match of the season on Aug. 28.
- The Demon Deacons’ .358 hitting percentage is second-best by a Virginia opponent and best since the Gators did so earlier this year.
- With the win, the Demon Deacons extended their win streak in the series to four consecutive matches and improved to 27-28 in the all-time series, which began on Oct. 17, 1980.
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