Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech volleyball squad battled Duke in all four sets, but fell to the Blue Devils, 3-1 (20-25, 24-26, 25-23, 21-25), on Friday night in Cassell Coliseum.
Junior Felicia Willoughby recorded a season-high 21 kills for the Hokies (17-10, 7-9 ACC), and freshman Cara Baarendse added 11 more in the effort. Willoughby also tallied six blocks, and senior Taylor Parrish notched five in the affair. Sophomore Erin Leaser doled out 48 assists, while senior Jill Gergen and sophomore Justine Record registered 21 and 16 digs, respectively.
The two squads battled in the early stages of set one, before a 4-0 run gave Duke (23-5, 13-3 ACC) a 12-8 advantage. The Blue Devils held the margin until Tech answered with a 4-0 run of their own to even the period at 16 apiece. Up 20-19, the Blue Devils reeled off a 5-1 spurt to close the door on the Hokies in the opening stanza, 25-20.
Another late rally doomed Tech in the second set. Both teams went back and forth until Duke pressed out to a 16-12 lead with a 3-0 streak. The Blue Devils extended the advantage to 21-17 when the Hokies battled back to match Duke at 22-22. An attack error by Duke’s Becci Burling gave the Hokies a chance at taking the set with the service at 24-23, but the Blue Devils put together a late 3-0 run to steal the second, 24-26.
The Hokies fell behind by six points at 14-8 to start the third stanza, and the outlook appeared bleak. Tech began chipping away at the cushion though, and used a 4-0 spurt to cut the gap to two at 14-12. Eventually the Hokies tied the set at 17 all. Duke responded, taking a 22-19 advantage, but again Tech fought back to tie the period, 22-22. Down 23-22, Willoughby and Parrish recorded back-to-back kills to take the lead, and this time Tech put the Blue Devils away as Willoughby and Parrish teamed up to block Burling’s attack and finish Duke in the set, 25-23.
Again the Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead at 12-8 in the fourth frame. The Hokies remained in within striking distance for the remainder of the set, never letting Duke lead by more than four. Tech cut the lead to one three times late in the period, at 19-20, 20-21 and 21-22, but the Blue Devils won the final three points of the match to take the final set, 25-21, and the match, 3-1.
Duke struck at a .206 clip, while the Hokies hit .135 in the match. The Blue Devils also out-blocked the Hokies. Duke blocked 12 attacks, while the Hokies totaled 8.5 stuffs.
Tech will return to action on Saturday in Cassell Coliseum against Wake Forest at 5 p.m. Results will be available at hokiesports.com.