OXFORD, Ohio – Kicking off the third year of the Jill Wilson era on the right foot, Virginia Tech volleyball defeated USC Upstate 3-1 on Friday afternoon inside Millett Hall at the Miami Best Western Sycamore Inn Invitational.
A balanced attack was the reason why the Hokies (1-0) came away with the victory, getting three players to crack the double-digit kills mark, while setters Talyn Jackson (24 assists) and Sarah Jane Lynch (21) combined to dish out 45 assists.
The victory over the Spartans (0-1) makes Tech 3-0 in season openers under Wilson and improves to 7-0 in opening-weekend tournaments since 2017.
THE MATCH
The Hokies got off to a fast start in the first set, getting a kill from freshman Cera Powell for the first point of the season and didn't look back, scoring eight more points to make it 9-2 to cause a Spartan timeout. Out the break, Tech kept cruising and would go on to win 25-11.
The second frame was the most competitive of all four sets, as the two squads had nine ties and five lead changes in the set alone. Once again, Tech got off to a strong start, gaining a five-point advantage early on at 10-5. But USC Upstate fought back and tied it up at 16-all, and would eventually make some plays down the stretch to win it 27-25.
Another quick start for the Hokies got them off to an 8-2 lead, following consecutive blocks by freshman Anabel Zier. Tech maintained its lead the next few moments, but the Spartans began to chip away, cutting into the deficit and then taking the lead at 21-20. However, the Hokies dug deep and rallied to win it by three, 25-22.
The final stanza was similar to the first set, with the Hokies running away with it, getting numerous aces to build a double-digit lead. Senior Ester Talamazzi came in off the bench and tallied two aces in the set, as well as four kills to give Tech a jolt of energy, winning it 25-12.
QUOTING HEAD COACH JILL WILSON
On starting the season 1-0 and how the team played out of the gate:
"I think there was definitely some good things that we can build on," Wilson said. "Specifically, Marisa Cerchio playing the right side for the first time ever in her life and hitting .455 to lead our offense is a great showing for her. I'm really proud of that transition she has made from middle."
On both setters having over 20 assists and showing their potential:
"They both bring different things and we're going to keep working through both of them," Wilson said. "The nice part is that it does give us a little bit of versatility. But we also have got to keep working on our offensive consistency, partly with the setters and partly with our hitters. But I think the good thing is that we're going to get dramatically better as the season goes with that."
NOTES
- The three players in double digits in the kills category were freshmen Cera Powell (12) and Anabel Zier (10) and junior Marisa Cerchio (11). Cerchio turned in the team's best hitting percentage (.455) on the day, marking her 11th time hitting over .400 (minimum 10 attacks) in her career.
- Tech racked up 14 blocks, the most since Sept. 7, 2018, versus IUPUI. In today's match, Zier led the charge with three solo blocks and five block assists.
- On the service line, the Hokies got it done with 13 aces, tying the season high from last year, which Tech did twice at the Hokie Invitational sponsored by the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Christiansburg. Senior Carol Raffety and freshman Logan Mosley each had four aces.
- Mosley scooped up a team-best 19 digs, while earning two assists as well, starting in the libero spot.
- Speaking of starting, three freshmen earned the nod in the lineup – Zier, Powell and Mosley – marking the second time in the Jill Wilson era that has happened on opening day (Kaity Smith, Talamazzi and Cerchio on Aug. 25 vs. Idaho State).
UP NEXT
Tech will be back at it later tonight, taking on the host of the tournament, Miami (Ohio), at 7 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast on MiamiRedHawks.com ($).Gallery: (8/30/2019) 2019 VOLLEYBALL vs. USC UPSTATE
