BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech volleyball team begins a four-game road stretch on Friday evening, taking on rival Virginia at 7 p.m. for bragging rights in the Commonwealth Clash sponsored by Smithfield. The Hokies then travel to No. 4 Pitt to take on the Panthers at 1 p.m.
THINGS TO KNOW
Scouting Virginia
The Cavaliers enter Friday's match with an 8-12 overall record and 1-9 clip in ACC play. Most recently, Virginia traveled to No. 2 Louisville and Notre Dame, falling in three sets at both places. Virginia's ACC win comes over North Carolina on Sept. 26, defeating the Tar heels 25-17, 15-25, 26-24 and 25-21. Coming into the match as one of the better blocking teams in the ACC, the 'Hoos are averaging 2.74 blocks per set, good for second in the ACC. They are also third in total team blocks with 193, ranked 44th nationally. Alana Walker plays a big role at the net for Virginia, registering 1.59 blocks per set which leads the conference and sits at 3rd nationally.
Scouting Pitt
The Panthers will take on Wake Forest Friday evening in Pittsburgh before hosting the Hokies on Sunday afternoon. With an 18-2 record overall and an 8-2 mark in ACC play, Pitt currently sits at second in the ACC behind Louisville. The only losses for Pitt come at the hands of then-No. 18 Georgia Tech and No. 2 Louisville, both in five sets. Kayla Lund and Chinaza Ndee are the offensive firepower for Pitt, posting 3.61 and 3.53 points per set, respectively. Lund is the kills leader with 242 total and 3.18 per set. Ndee is not far behind, with 241 kills and a .283 hitting percentage.
Commonwealth Clash
Following a halt during the 2019-20 academic year due to COVID-19 implications, the Commonwealth Clash has been renewed and has a new presenting sponsor in Smithfield. The Commonwealth Clash is a friendly, statewide rivalry between Virginia Tech and Virginia and their school-sponsored sports, with 22 individual event points on the line. The school that accumulates 11.5 points or more has been annually crowned the winner and takes home the Commonwealth Clash trophy, presented by Smithfield. For more information, visit hokiesports.com/clash.
New Faces
Grace Kelly made her first appearance as a Hokie last weekend, playing one set each against Florida State and Miami. Against Florida State, the freshman recorded three kills on eight attempts throughout the set. In the Miami match, she had one kill and one dig. Michelle Bennett played in her first match the previous weekend, making her Hokie debut against Louisville. The freshman has played in every match since as a defensive specialist. She played in three sets against Miami, recording a team-high 10 digs, which is also a season-high for her.
UP NEXT
The Hokies have their first midweek match next week, making the trip to Winston-Salem to take on Wake Forest on Thursday, Nov. 4. First serve is set for 6 p.m. Tech then travels to Durham for a 1 p.m. match against Duke on Sunday, Nov. 7.
