Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech volleyball team opened the Hokie Invite on a high note, downing George Mason 3-1. The Hokies came out firing on all cylinders, taking a 10-0 lead before the Patriots even scored a point.
With Cierra Huntley serving to open the match, the Hokies were able to score 10 straight points before allowing one from George Mason. Huntley had three aces during the run and Griere Hughes had two kills.
From there, Tech never relinquished the lead, allowing only 14 points by the Patriots. The Hokies hit an impressive .467 in the first set with 15 kills. Hughes finished the set with six kills while Tasha Vipond and Amanda Lowe added three each. Mara Perry led the team with five assists.
Defensively, Logan Mosley recorded six digs, holding the Patriots to just nine kills and a .231 hitting percentage. Brie Postema also aided in the defensive effort with four digs, as well as recording four assists.
The second set was more of the same from the Hokies, jumping out to a 15-5 lead before George Mason called a timeout. Tech continued to press, ending the set on a 3-0 run to take the set 25-13.
Virginia Tech recorded another impressive hitting percentage, posting a .450 percentage with 10 kills. George Mason hit only .045 with seven kills, aided by the defensive effort from the Hokies.
Angel Robinson got hot for the Hokies, registering four kills and adding two solo blocks. Marisa Cerchio also had a block, as well as Vipond and Hughes combining on one for four total Hokie blocks. Perry carried her momentum into the second set, posting three assists and two aces.
George Mason turned the tables in the third set, forcing a fourth set with a 25-22 win. The set was a back-and-forth battle with the largest lead of the set a 5-2 George Mason lead early. The Hokies had their worst set offensively, posting nine kills compared to 14 by the Patriots. Olyvia Kennedy was the leader for George Mason with four kills.
Virginia Tech put the Patriots away in the fourth set, winning it 25-15. The Hokies used a 5-2 run to extend their lead to 16-9 before George Mason called a timeout. From there, Tech never looked back to win its eighth match of the season.
Overall, freshman Lowe had an impressive match for Tech, hitting .692 with 10 kills. Hughes ended her match with 14 kills and a .250 hitting percentage. Mosley and Postema were the defensive leaders with 15 and 12 digs, respectively. Perry ended her match with 16 assists and Postema added 14. As a team, the Hokies posted 14 blocks as Robinson had three solo blocks and four block assists.
The Hokies take on Wofford at 7 p.m. to wrap up day one of the Hokie Invite. The Terriers fell in their first match of the day to North Carolina A&T, 3-0.Gallery: (9-17-2021) VB: George Mason Match