Hokie Club
BLACKSBURG – Getting the first start of her career, Talyn Jackson's double-double led Virginia Tech's volleyball team to a 3-1 win over Robert Morris on Saturday to claim the Hokie Invitational sponsored by the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Christiansburg at Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum.
The freshman dished out a career-high 45 assists while scooping up a career-best 13 digs to lead the Hokies (6-0) to a perfect start through two weekends of action.
Tech was also led by sophomore Marisa Cerchio on the weekend, as the middle blocker hit over .400 in all three matches to win MVP honors. Cerchio made the all-tournament team, as well as sophomore Kaity Smith and junior Carol Raffety.
The Colonials (0-6) got off to a fast start, as they went up 8-2 to force a Tech timeout. Robert Morris extended its lead to seven points at 17-10, causing the Hokies to burn another timeout. However, Tech would respond out of the break by cutting the deficit to two points at 24-22, but would end up losing the first set 25-22.
Things would start evenly in the second frame, with an 11-11 tie after a kill by Smith. Tech went on to garner a five-point lead at 20-15, but the Colonials would come back to trim Tech's lead to two, 22-20. Smith would have the final say, though, pounding down two kills to claim it, 25-21.
Tech got up big in the third stanza behind a couple aces from junior Abby McKinzie, forcing a Robert Morris timeout at 14-8. Talamazzi and freshman Angle Robinson would precede to takeover, as Talamazzi finished the set with five kills and Robinson turned in four blocks to help Tech win 25-16. Robinson, a freshman, wrapped up the match with a career-high five blocks and a personal-best three kills.
In the final frame, the Hokies once again got off to a strong lead, causing another Colonials' timeout at 14-8. Tech kept the momentum, though, rattling off an 11-7 run paced by Smith's five kills in the set to win it, 25-15.
Maria Alfano, who made the all-tournament team, led the Colonials by posting seven kills, two digs and a team-high three blocks.
(9/1/2018) 2018 VOLLEYBALL vs. ROBERT MORRIS
NOTES
- MVP Cerchio hit north of .400 for the third time on the weekend, finishing with a .429 clip on seven kills, while posting four digs, two aces and a block.
- Smith put down a season-high 17 kills and collected eight digs while tallying two aces and blocks. Of the six matches this year, the Kentucky native has had 10 or more in five of the six contests.
- Libero Carol Raffety scooped up a match-high 21 digs, marking the second time this year of her having 20 or more. She is now up to 991 career digs, making her nine away from cracking the prestigious 1,000 mark to become the 17th Hokie to ever accomplish the feat.
- Talamazzi recorded a season-high 15 kills, tied for the third-most in her career, and had seven digs to go along with two aces and an assist.
- Tolbert registered her second-most kills on the year with 12, while blocking two attacks and getting two digs.
- Sophomore Kylie Thomas collected 10 digs, her most of the year and second-most in her career. The Sterling, Virginia native also had two assists and an ace.
QUOTING HEAD COACH JILL WILSON
"I credit Robert Morris, it came out firing away and were very aggressive and unafraid," Head Coach Jill Wilson said. "I was a little disappointed with how we came out, especially in the first set. I don't think we were very gritty or consistent. We would just end our own run with silly mistakes, but I thought it got a little bit better as we went. It's something that we definitely have to improve upon.
"I was really proud of Talyn [Jackson]. This was the first time she had ever run a 5-1 for us, with Rhegan [Mitchell] at her father's wedding. I was very proud of her maturity and composure through a very up-and-down match. She did not play like a freshman today.
"It's always good to start off on a good note. We have a lot of things we still need to improve upon with some tough matches coming up in the next couple weeks. So, we're really going to have to get back and get focused at practice with our consistency."
TWEET OF THE MATCH
Set 3 | Tech begins it with a 10-7 lead following back-to-back kills from Robinson!
— Virginia Tech Volleyball (@HokiesVB) September 1, 2018
STAT OF THE MATCH
- Tech was lights out all weekend on the service line, racking up a total of 37 aces. In today's match against the Colonials, it tied a season-best mark of 13. McKinzie had a team-high four versus Robert Morris.
WHAT IS NEXT
- The Hokies will hit the road for their third weekend of the young season, traveling to Athens, Ohio to compete in the Bobcat Invitational on Sept. 7-8.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Marisa Cerchio | Virginia Tech | MVP
Kaity Smith | Virginia Tech
Carol Raffety | Virginia Tech
Casey Foote | William & Mary
Heather Pippus | William & Mary
Grace Kane | Campbell
Maria Alfano | Robert Morris