Hokie Club
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a back-and-forth affair, the Virginia Tech volleyball team came out on top against Charlotte in a five-set thriller inside Halton Arena at the Charlotte Invitational on Saturday night.
With the 3-2 win over the 49ers (2-2), Tech (3-0) was decided co-champions with Elon (3-0). Sophomore Kaity Smith was tabbed Co-MVP and senior Jaila Tolbert was named to the all-tournament team, as well as Smith.
On the weekend, Smith tallied 41 kills, 33 digs, three blocks and two service aces, while Tolbert collected 29 kills, eight digs and 14 blocks. Both hit over .300 in the three matches, with Smith owning a hitting percentage of .306 and Tolbert with a .305 clip.
The 49ers started the first set with the momentum, beginning with a 10-6 advantage. They would keep it going, stretching their lead to 21-14 to force a Tech timeout. Charlotte would go on to finish the set on a 4-1 run to win it, 25-15.
The second stanza seesawed numerous times with 17 ties and six lead changes. Punches back and forth, the set saw itself tied at 24-all after a kill by sophomore Marisa Cerchio, who had quite the performance in the stanza, tallying four kills, three blocks and an ace. But it would not be enough as the 49ers scored the final two points to claim it, 26-24.
Tech started strong in the third set, building a 10-7 lead after a combination block by Cerchio and redshirt Rhegan Mitchell to force a 49ers' timeout. Cerchio took over for a moment, again, swatting three attacks and putting down six kills in the set alone to spark Tech winning 25-19.
The fourth frame saw Charlotte, North Carolina native Kai Young put on for her city, as the sophomore tallied five kills. Young posted consecutive kills for the 23rd and 24th points before finishing off the set with a combo block with fellow sophomore Ester Talamazzi to help Tech win 25-19.
In the final stanza, Tolbert put down three kills in a row and Cerchio and Talamazzi swatted a Charlotte attack together to put the Hokies up 7-5, forcing a 49er timeout. Out of the break, Tech maintained its lead and then some to go on to be victorious, 15-9.
Reanna Richardson paced the 49ers, posting a match-high 17 kills and seven digs.
NOTES
- Smith recorded 14 kills and digs, two assists and an ace, tallying her second straight double-double. Tolbert registered 14 kills and four digs and had a team-high .400 hitting percentage (minimum 10 attempts).
- The middle blockers for Tech each had a day in Cerchio and Young, as both sophomores turned in career highs in the kills and blocks department. Cerchio finished with a team-high 15 kills and 10 blocks, the first double-double of her career, and Young concluded with 13 kills and eight blocks.
- Talamazzi and junior Carol Raffety brought it on the defensive end, with Talamazzi setting a career-high 22 digs and Raffety cracked the 20-dig plateau for the first time since Nov. 24, 2017, against Pitt when she had exactly 20 just like tonight.
- Mitchell had her best match yet, dishing out 48 assists and racking up four kills, nine digs and five blocks at the setter position. It's the 17th time the Georgia native has had 45 or more assists in a match during her career.
QUOTING HEAD COACH JILL WILSON
"They really started to invest in the system and not try to be superheroes," Wilson said. "We really had to learn to be patient through plays and Charlotte really forced us to do that. We couldn't just rep every ball where we wanted to, we really had to wait for our opportunity to play as a unit.
"Rhegan [Mitchell] did a really good job, even with our out of system stuff. She was really forcing our middles and getting them the ball. I was really proud of her effort tonight, not only setting but as a leader.
"Kaity [Smith] had a great weekend. I was proud of her composure tonight. Charlotte is a very big block over there and it got her a few times, but she responded really well, found a way to hit some other shots and had a very mature response."
STAT OF THE MATCH
- Tech showed up at the net, tallying 18 blocks on the night. That mark is the most in the Jill Wilson era, topping the previous high of 14 against Virginia on Nov. 22, 2017, and was four shy of the school record of 22 set on Oct. 5, 2001, against West Virginia.
TWEET OF THE MATCH
S/O to Tech alum Sonya Curry, formerly Adams, on giving us a prematch speech! 👊 pic.twitter.com/UVQX7M9H6w
— Virginia Tech Volleyball (@HokiesVB) August 25, 2018
WHAT IS NEXT
- The Hokies will come head back to Blacksburg to host the Hokie Invitational sponsored by the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Christiansburg on Aug. 31 through Sept. 1, playing host to three schools – Campbell, Robert Morris and William & Mary.
CHARLOTTE INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Virginia Tech: Kaity Smith (Co-MVP), Jaila Tolbert
Elon: Madison Jaudon (Co-MVP), Kellyn Trowse
USC Upstate: Payton Duncan
Presbyterian: Daley Gosnell
Charlotte: Yumi Garcia