NORFOLK, Va. – The Virginia volleyball team (1-0) opened its 2024 campaign with a convincing 25-9, 25-12, 25-13 victory over Marist (0-2) at Old Dominion’s Quest for the Crown tournament at the ODU Volleyball Center Friday afternoon (Aug. 30).
The Cavaliers dialed up 11 aces from behind the service line, including three from starting libero Milan Gomillion, who also led all players with 14 digs. Virginia’s 11 aces are its most in a three-set match since 2013. Offensively, UVA was led by Abby Tadder, who notched a match-high seven kills on nine swings and hit .556.
Virginia’s defense held the Red Foxes to a -.081 hitting percentage for the match after they totaled 17 kills and 24 attack errors, eight of which came off the hands of UVA blockers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: Virginia 25, Marist 9
Strong serves, including five aces, helped Virginia dominate set No. 1. In her Cavalier debut, Kadynce Boothe (5k, .500 Hit%) served up two aces. Marist also only notched two kills and tallied 10 attack errors, four of which were blocks by the UVA front row. UVA grasped an initial 8-2 lead and scored 10 of the last 11 points to runaway with the set. Tadder, Brooklyn Borum, Zoey Dood and Elayna Duprey all had two kills apiece.
Set 2: Virginia 25, Marist 12
The Cavaliers carried their momentum into the second frame, leaping out to a 10-1 lead. Duprey had four of her six total kills in the second frame. Virginia terminated 11 attack attempts with just two attack errors, and closed out the set by scoring the final three points.
Set 3: Virginia 25, Marist 13
Tadder tallied five of her seven kills in the third on seven swings and Dood recorded eight assists in the frame. The Cavaliers back row did not surrender a single Red Fox service ace in the final set and were led by Gomillion, who successfully passed all seven of her serve receptions. The Hoos never trailed in game No. 3 and used multiple unanswered scoring runs to cap their first win of the season.
WITH THE WIN…
- UVA won the inaugural matchup with Marist.
- The Cavaliers are now 29-17 (.630) all-time in season openers and have won nine of the last 11 such contests.
- Virginia has out-matched its opponents 95-60 in total sets all-time in season openers.
- UVA won its third consecutive season opener under head coach Shannon Wells.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UVA’s 11 aces are its most in a three-set match since 2013, when UVA also posted 11 at Wake Forest.
- Six Cavaliers in Kadynce Boothe, Kate Dean, Zoey Dood,…