Hokie ClubCLEMSON, S.C. – In its final road match of the season, the Virginia Tech volleyball team took down Clemson in South Carolina 3-2 on Friday night inside Jervey Gym.
The Hokies (10-18, 3-12 ACC) defeated the Tigers (10-16, 4-11) 3-2 in five sets in what was a back and forth match. Tech gained its 10th win on the season and got payback against Clemson from earlier in the year.
Tech saw dominant performances all over its roster with junior Kaity Smith and setter Talyn Jackson both registering double-doubles. Smith tallied 15 kills and 10 digs along with Jackson adding 26 assists with 12 digs.
Redshirt freshman Jennifer Williams notched a new career high in kills with 10 on the night. Middle blocker Marisa Cerchio added ten kills and seven blocks and sophomore Sarah Jane Lynch dished out 19 assists.
THE MATCH
Tech and the Tigers both played consistently throughout the first. It was knotted at 13-13 when the Hokies went on a run to gain an advantage with the score being 20-17. Clemson would go on an 8-1 run to close out the set 25-21. The Tigers' Kaylin Korte tallied three kills and three digs in the first.
The Hokies came out of the gate steady in stanza two going up 15-11 halfway through. Tech kept the momentum going and would not give up the lead from that point, winning the set 25-20. Jackson had 10 assists and six digs in the second alone.
Looking to take the lead in set three, both teams were hitting on all cylinders. Smith had four kills, and Williams had five kills in the third frame. Korte and Clemson's Alyssa Deloney each added four kills in the third. It was Clemson that caught fire at the end of the third, though, rattling off three straight points to win the stanza 25-20.
Clemson was seeking victory in the fourth set as they were dominating early on taking a 17-11 lead. Tech would climb back, however, going on an impressive 14-4 run to win the fourth 25-22 thanks to Lynch stepping in and adding 10 assists.
With the match on the line, the Hokies took a 3-0 lead to start things off. Back-to-back kills from Smith and freshman Anabel Zier helped Tech keep the lead at 7-5 halfway through the fifth. As Clemson looked to creep back, Tech scored two straight points to claim the set 15-11 and win the match 3-2.
QUOTING VIRGINIA TECH COACH JILL WILSON
On today's match:
"I was really proud of our team because when it came down to the clutch moments, we really didn't let the nerves get the best of us," Wilson said. "We came out and we were very aggressive, and that's a very good step for us offensively."
NOTES
- Smith posted another double-double with 15 kills and 10 digs. Smith has eight double-doubles on the season and 22 in her career.
- Cerchio added seven blocks against Clemson, which was a season high. Cerchio also posted 10 kills to bring her team-leading total to 287.
- Williams started for the second straight match and notched a new career high in kills for the second straight game with 10 against the Tigers.
- Lynch dished out 19 assists, which is her second-highest total of the season.
- Jackson posted a 26-assist, 12-dig double-double on Friday night. This was Jackson's 10th double-double of the season.
UP NEXT
The Hokies will be back at Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum to face off against Wake Forest on Sunday, Nov. 24 at noon ET.