Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – In a back and forth match, the Virginia Tech volleyball team fell to Miami (Fla.) 3-1 on Sunday at Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum.
The Hokies (9-16, 2-10 ACC) were led by junior Kaity Smith as she had a near double-double with 10 kills and eight digs, while middle blocker Marisa Cerchio added 13 kills and freshman Logan Mosley scooped up 16 digs.
In a match that saw 15 ties and three lead changes, key players for the Hurricanes (9-11, 5-7) included junior Janet Kalaniuvalu, who racked up 22 kills along with eight digs, and freshman Kennedy Prince, who notched a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs.
THE MATCH
The Hokies and Hurricanes were all knotted with the score at 12-12 to start the day off. Miami scored three straight points to take a 15-12 advantage, but the Hokies would get hot late with kills from Smith and Cerchio to claim the first set 25-23. Smith had five kills along with three digs in the first set success.
Tech fell into a hole early in the second frame, going down 10-6 in the early going. And then Prince and Kalaniuvualu would get it going and combine for 11 kills to help the 'Canes close the second set out on an 8-5 run to win 25-15.
Similar to the second set, Miami jumped out to a lead, causing Tech to take a timeout at 12-5. Out of the break, Cerchio, who earned six kills alone in the third stanza, started heating up while sophomore Sarah Jane Lynch collected seven assists off the bench, but it was not enough against the 'Canes, as they won their second straight set 25-15.
Looking to tie the match in the fourth, Tech took an early 7-6 lead. Paced by sophomore Angel Robinson recording four kills, the Hokies found themselves down 23-22 in a thrilling set. But Miami closed out the final two points to win the stanza 25-23 and claim the match.
NOTES
- Cerchio, a junior, finished with 13 kills, which is her 17th double-digit kill performance on the year. The Ohio native has 53 kills over her last five matches.
- Lynch, filling in at setter in sets three and four, recorded 14 assists her third-highest assist outing of the season. The setter now has registered double-digit assists in back-to-back matches played and her third of the season. Lynch also tallied two career highs, posting two blocks and two aces.
- Mosley chalked up 16 digs against the Hurricanes, marking her 10th straight double-digit dig match, totaling to 179 digs over that span. Mosley has 437 digs on the season.
- Middle blocker Robinson collected four kills, her most since Oct. 6 at North Carolina and her third most this season.
UP NEXT
The Hokies will hit the road when they take on Boston College (17-7, 8-3) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Tech will then travel to Syracuse, New York to play the Orange (8-11, 5-7) on Sunday at noon.