Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Closing their non-conference part of the season, the Hokies’ volleyball squad fell to East Tennessee State, 3-0, Saturday afternoon in the Hokie Invitational sponsored by the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Christiansburg at the Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum.
Virginia Tech (6-5) reached the 20-point plateau twice in the three sets, but the Buccaneers (4-7) had all of the momentum in the final frame, winning 25-14.
The two teams went back and forth in the beginning of the first set, with the score tied at 10-10. A seven-point run pushed ETSU’s advantage too big to overcome by the Hokies, as the Bucs went on to win 25-20 in the opener.
The second frame saw ETSU jump out to an early lead, 13-6. The Hokies would claw back, though, cutting the deficit to three at 19-16 after an Ester Talamazzi kill. The Italy native registered a match-high 12 kills. But the Bucs would not relent, claiming the middle set, 25-21.
The final set did not go the Hokies’ way with the Bucs putting Tech in a hole early, 6-0. Jill Wilson’s squad would battle back by trimming the lead, however, ETSU’s advantage was too much as they clinched the final frame, 25-14.
NOTES
- Talamazzi almost posted the second double-double of her career with only being just two digs shy. The outside hitter recorded 12 kills and eight digs.
- Libero Carol Raffety showed consistency once again, tallying 16 digs on the day. It marks the third-match in a row the sophomore has had 15 or more digs
- Setters Rhegan Mitchell and Mandy Powers did double-duty today, racking up a combined 25 assists. Powers for the second time this season registered four digs (Toledo, Sept. 9), and Mitchell turned in exactly 19 assists for the second consecutive match.
- Right side hitter Kelly Esch earned back-to-back starts (Radford, ETSU), and posted a season-high six kills.
- Sophomore Abby McKinzie turned in six digs and a career-high two service aces.
STAT OF THE MATCH
- Tech had four players contribute to six service aces, tied for the second-most this season - Talamazzi (2), McKinzie (2), Raffety (1) and Kylie Thomas (1).
TWEET OF THE DAY
Taking my crew to watch our first @vt_vball today https://t.co/dUpEspLZOH
— Ashley Blaylock (@_AshleyBlaylock) September 16, 2017
WHAT IS NEXT
The Hokies will begin Atlantic Coast Conference play on Sept. 22-24, heading down to The Sunshine State to take on RV Miami and No. 20 Florida State.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Valerie Gonzalez, Radford, MVP
Alyssa Carruth, Radford
Braedyn Tutton, ETSU