BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Virginia Tech volleyball team is set for a pair of weekday matches, beginning with in-state ACC rival Virginia on Wednesday, Oct. 23. Tech will follow that up by hosting league newcomer Notre Dame on Friday, Oct. 25. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m. at Cassell Coliseum.
v. Virginia
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v. Notre Dame
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Match Notes
The Hokies
- Tech split results last weekend at home, defeating NC State, 3-0 before falling to No. 13 North Carolina, 3-2.
- Victoria Hamsher recorded 10 kills against the Wolfpack and tallied 11 versus the Tar Heels. Kathryn Caine led all Tech attackers against the Heels with 15 kills while Lindsey Owens added 14.
- Lindsey Owens is averaging 3.01 kps while Samantha Gostling is posting 2.86 kps. Hamsher ranks first in the ACC and 17th in the NCAA in attack percentage at .414 and Caine clocks in third in the ACC at .364. Jordan Fish is notching 11.01 assists per set to rank first in the league and 29th in the NCAA.
- Owens has also been strong for the Hokies on the serve, averaging 0.48 aces per set to top the ACC and rank 15th in the nation.
- On the defensive side, LaTasha Samson-Akpan is tallying 1.25 blocks per set, ranking fourth in the ACC. Megan Beckwith is averaging 4.01 digs per set, good for 10th in the league.
- The Hokies sit atop the ACC and are 16th in the NCAA in team attack percentage at .273.
Scouting the Cavaliers
- Virginia fell to NC State and North Carolina last weekend with scores of 3-0 in both matches.
- Haley Kole and Tori Janowski each had 12 kills against the Tar Heels while Jasmine Burton posted nine to lead the Cavaliers against the Wolfpack.
- Janowski leads the 'Hoos on the season, averaging 3.74 kills per set, ranking fifth in the ACC. Kole is adding 3.51 kps to come in at eight in the league. Lauren Fuller is putting up 11.0 assists per set.
- On the defensive side, Mallory Woolridge is averaging 1.06 blocks per set. Emily Rottman ranks fifth in the ACC with 4.40 digs per set.
The Series
- The all-time series, which is tied at 30-30, marks the longest-running continuous series in program history, with the two teams meeting at least once every year since 1979.
- The Hokies have won the past seven meetings between the two teams, including most recently a 3-0 (28-26, 25-14, 25-17) win last season on Nov. 23, 2012 in Cassell.
- Gostling had nine kills for the Hokies while former Tech player Jennifer Wiker added eight. Jessica O'Shoney posted eight kills for the 'Hoos.
Scouting the Fighting Irish
- Notre Dame split decisions last weekend, defeating Miami 3-1 before falling to Florida State, 3-0.
- Toni Alugbue led the Irish against the Hurricanes with 16 kills. Sammie Brown added 15 while Jeni Houser knocked down 13. Nicole Smith posted the team-high against FSU with seven.
- Alugbue leads the Irish with 3.08 kills per set while Houser is adding 2.59 kps. Maggie Brindock is putting up 9.12 assists per set.
- Defensively, Andrea McHugh is tallying 3.35 digs per set and Houser is putting back 0.99 blocks per set.
The Series
- Notre Dame holds the edge in the all-time series at 2-1, but the two teams have not met since both were members of the Big East Conference.
- The Irish won the last meeting on Nov. 7, 2003 with a score of 3-2 (30-22, 25-30, 29-31, 30-24, 15-13) in South Bend, Ind.
Up Next: The Hokies return to the road for the next two matches, traveling to Clemson on Nov. 1 and Georgia Tech on Nov. 3.
For updates on Virginia Tech volleyball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_VBall).