Hokie ClubDURHAM – With a chance to sweep, the Virginia Tech volleyball team came up short 3-1 in the second outing of the two-match series against Duke on Sunday evening inside Cameron Indoor.
The Hokies (5-2, 4-2 ACC) drop out of first place in the ACC Central as Duke (5-2, 5-2) regains the top spot. Tech and the Blue Devils split the two-match series 1-1. This marks just the second ACC loss all season for the Hokies while Duke earns its fifth conference victory.
Outside hitter Ashley Homan had a team-high 13 kills along with eight digs in the match. Sophomore Logan Mosley notched her season high in digs with 23 on the night.
Despite the loss, Graduate student Kaity Smith recorded yet another double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs marking the 28th of her career and sixth on the season. Furthermore, Smith tied Tech alum, Jaila Tolbert, for fifteenth all-time at Virginia Tech in kills with 1,030.
Duke received key contributions from junior Ade Owokoniran as she registered a game-high 18 kills. Senior Payton Schwantz added to the Blue Devils success with a 13 kill and 19 dig double-double.
Duke setter Alex Springate notched her season-high in assists with 30 against the Hokies. Freshman Sydney Yap added to the assists with 21 of her own as the Blue Devils ended the match with 60 total.
THE GAME
The first & second sets mirrored one another as in each stanza the Blue Devils and Hokies traded leads and action was tight throughout. At the end of both sets, Duke went on a late run to close it out. The Blue Devils won the first 25-21 and the second 26-24.
The third set was all Hokies from the jump as they went up 5-1 early on. The Blue Devils would fight back midway through the stanza and pull within two points at 20-18. Two kills from Homan and senior Kai Young would propel Tech to the 25-23 set win.
Back-to-back kills from Middle blocker Tasha Vipond and junior Angel Robinson put the Hokies up 7-5 well into the fourth. Duke would then go on a 5-0 run giving them the 11-7 lead. That run would make all the difference as the Blue Devils never gave up the advantage from that point and went on to win the set 25-17 and claim the match 3-1.
MATCH NOTES
Outside hitter Smith reached kill number 100 on the season and leads the team in kills.
Libero Mosley has now scooped up over 100 digs on the season with a team-high 107.
Senior Marisa Cerchio recorded her sixth straight match with double-digit kills.
Junior Talyn Jackson earned her fifth straight match with 20 or more assists.
UP NEXT
The Hokies will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina for two matches against NC State on Oct. 29 at 7:00 p.m. ET and Oct. 30 at 5:00 p.m. ET inside James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum.