Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Despite double-doubles from freshman Kaity Smith and redshirt junior Rhegan Mitchell, the Virginia Tech volleyball team fell to Florida State, 3-1, at Carilion Clinic Court inside Cassell Coliseum Friday evening.
Mitchell turned in 45 assists and 10 digs, while Smith racked up 13 kills and digs for the Hokies (9-19, 3-14 ACC). The Seminoles (15-10, 9-8 ACC) were paced by by setter Brianne Burkert, who tallied 33 assists, 11 digs and six kills.
Florida State began the match with some momentum, leading 9-6 early on. Tech trimmed the Seminoles’ lead to two, 15-13, after kills from right side hitter Jaila Tolbert and Mitchell. But Florida State would get hot, ending the first set on a 10-4 run to claim it 25-17.
The Hokies got out of the gate in the second frame with the lead, 6-4, following two kills from Tolbert. However, the ‘Noles would put together another run, rattling off nine points to earn back the lead, 13-11. After back-to-back blocks from redshirt senior Stacey Christy and Smith to cut it back to a two-point deficit at 17-15, the Hokies kept it going to bring it knotted at 20-all. With the score tied, FSU went on a 5-1 run to win 25-21.
Once again getting out ahead, Tech went up 8-4 after an Ester Talamazzi kill. The Hokies would maintain the lead all the way up to the media timeout at 15-14. Following the break in action, head coach Jill Wilson’s squad would go on a 10-6 run to close it, 25-20.
Mitchell earned another kill, her sixth, which is a career high, to bring Tech’s deficit to one at 11-10. Teams would trade points from there on, leading up to 19-19 in the fourth stanza. With the pressure on, Florida State would gain the crucial points down the stretch to take it 25-21 and the match.
NOTES
- Smith, who was one dig shy from a double-double in Tech’s last match, earned the sixth double-double of her career tonight, piling on 13 kills and digs, while chipping in an assist and stopping a career-high five attacks.
- Middle blocker Cara Cunningham posted five kills, a season-high four digs and three blocks. It marks her fourth-straight match of owning five or more kills.
- Mitchell dished out 45 assists, marking her most since Oct. 22 against Duke (55). With her 45 assists, she cracked the 1,000-assist mark on the year, which is the first time she has done so in a season. It also marks the first time a Hokie has accomplished the feat since 2013, when Jordan Fish dished out 1,381. The Georgia native also posted 10 digs and a career-high six kills.
- Libero Carol Raffety got back into a rythym defensively, scooping up 14 digs. The California native has hit the 10-digit mark for digs 26 times this fall.
- Tolbert registered 14 kills, her most since Oct. 22 versus Duke, while hitting .476. The junior has hit over .400 11 times this season. Tolbert also had six digs for the second-straight match, tying a career high.
- Talamazzi played her best match in the month of November, tallying 15 kills, her most since Oct. 22 against Duke, five digs and one block and assist apiece.
STAT OF THE MATCH
- The Hokies have been feeling it at the net as of late, recording seven blocks against Notre Dame, eight versus Louisville and eight tonight in their clash with Florida State, marking Tech’s best three-match stretch in league action (23 blocks).
TWEET OF THE DAY
Congrats to Rhegan Mitchell on her big milestone!
— VT Volleyball (@HokiesVB) November 18, 2017
1⃣0⃣0⃣0⃣ assists in a season!
👏👏👏#Hokies 🏐 pic.twitter.com/yHKhpJnenP
WHAT IS NEXT
The Hokies will be back at it on Sunday against Miami (18-5, 12-5 ACC) at noon ET. The Hurricanes won the previous matchup this year, 3-1, on Sept. 22, which was Tech’s first ACC contest in 2017.