Hokie ClubSYRACUSE, N.Y. – Virginia Tech’s volleyball team fell on the road, 3-0, Friday evening to Syracuse, which owns the second-most wins in the ACC, inside the Women’s Building.
Tech (8-14, 2-9 ACC) still has the advantage in the all-time series, 7-3, against the Orange (16-8, 8-3 ACC).
Syracuse jumped out to an early lead to begin the first set, 15-10, forcing a Tech timeout. Out of the break, the Orange extended their lead to six at 20-14, but the Hokies rallied and cut it to 21-18 behind two Kaity Smith kills. After the pause in action, Syracuse finished the frame scoring four of the next five points to win 25-19.
Gaining the lead for Tech in the early going at 4-1 led by a kill from three players and an attack error from Syracuse, the Orange came back to tie it 7-all. ‘Cuse scored four-straight points to burn a Tech timeout. Despite the break in action, the Orange kept their momentum, going on a 6-2 run to make it 17-9, causing another timeout from the Hokies. Syracuse would close the stanza with a 25-13 victory.
Similar to the first frame, the Orange came out to a 10-4 lead to begin the final set. However, head coach Jill Wilson’s squad stormed off five of the next six points to cut the deficit to two, 11-9. Play would go back and forth after the Hokies’ run as ‘Cuse kept steady, owning a 20-17 advantage. In the final moments, the Orange capped of the match on a 5-1 run to claim the set, 25-18.
NOTES
- Redshirt junior Rhegan Mitchell dished out 24 assists, while adding six digs, three kills and tying a season-high three blocks. The Georgia native has played well as of late on the defensive end, owning at least six digs or more in her last seven matches.
- Libero Carol Raffety recorded her 14th-straight match of 10-plus digs, scooping up 11. The sophomore also chipped in two assists. She has racked up 18 assists over her last four matches at the libero position.
- Junior Jaila Tolbert and Smith each recorded a team-high seven kills. Smith tallied nine digs and Tolbert got a stop at the net.
- Middle blocker Kai Young, who earned the first start of her career tonight, turned in three kills and a career-high four blocks. The North Carolina native has been a force at the net lately, swatting nine attacks her last four matches.
- Defensive specialist Alex Toben distributed an assist, her first since opening weekend. Additionally, the junior posted four digs.
STAT OF THE MATCH
- Tolbert saw her six-match streak of hitting over .300 snap, however, the Minnesota native is now tied for the longest streak of any player in the ACC to do so in conference play. She is tied with the Notre Dame’s Sam Fry. Tolbert hit over .300 from Oct. 6 through Oct. 22.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Set 2 | All knotted at 7-7
— VT Volleyball (@VT_VBall) October 27, 2017
Cunningham is hitting .429 with three kills and has a stop at the net
WHAT IS NEXT
The Hokies will travel to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, to take on Boston College Sunday at 1 p.m. ET with the match airing live on ACC Network Extra.