BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech volleyball team will host a pair of ACC foes over the weekend beginning with Miami on Friday, Nov. 8 followed by No. 18 Florida State on Saturday, Nov. 9. Both matches are set for 7 p.m. at Cassell Coliseum.
v. Miami
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v. #18 Florida State
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TV Broadcast: ESPN3
The Hokies
▪ Virginia Tech fell in a pair of road matches, dropping a 3-2 decision to Clemson before falling 3-1 to Georgia Tech.
▪ Victoria Hamsher tallied 16 kills, hitting .517, against the Tigers while Samantha Gostling and LaTasha Samson-Akpan added 13 and 10, respectively. Gostling led the team with 11 kills versus the Yellow Jackets with Kennedy Bryan and Kathryn Caine chipping in 10 each.
▪ Lindsey Owens is averaging 2.95 kps while Samantha Gostling is posting 2.75 kps to lead Virginia Tech on the season. Hamsher (2.46), Caine (2.56) and Bryan (2.25) are also averaging more than two kills per set. Hamsher is tops in the ACC and ranks 24th in the NCAA with a hitting percentage of .405. Jordan Fish is putting up 11.09 assists for the offense to rank third in the ACC.
▪ Owens has been strong for the Hokies on the serve, averaging 0.44 aces per set to top the ACC and rank 18th in the nation.
▪ On the defensive side, Samson-Akpan is tallying 1.14 blocks per set, ranking 10th in the ACC. Megan Beckwith is averaging 4.19 digs per set, good for eighth in the league.
▪ The Hokies sit second in the ACC and are 32nd in the NCAA in team attack percentage at .259.
Scouting the Hurricanes
▪ Miami picked up a pair of wins at home last weekend, defeating NC State, 3-0 and No. 12 North Carolina, 3-2.
▪ Alexis Mourning and Savannah Leaf had nine kills each against the Wolfpack and Leaf tallied 25 versus the Heels. Misty Ma'A and Alex Johnson added 12 each against UNC.
▪ Leaf leads the 'Canes and is third in the ACC on the season, averaging 3.89 kills per set. Johnson is adding 2.65 kps.
▪ On the defensive side, Emani Sims is averaging 1.5 blocks per set and Mourning is adding 1.08 bps. Ryan Shaffer is posting 4.58 digs per set to rank third in the ACC.
The Series
▪ Miami holds the lead in the all-time series at 14-6 and won the most recent meeting between the two teams 3-0 last season in Coral Gables, but the Hokies picked up the 3-0 win last season in Cassell.
▪ Gostling tallied 11 kills for the Hokies in the win over the Hurricanes. Miami was led by Johnson with 12.
Scouting the Seminoles
▪ Florida State took wins in both matches last weekend with a 3-2 win over No. 12 North Carolina and a 3-0 sweep of NC State in Tallahassee.
▪ Nicole Walch led the 'Noles in both matches, recording 20 kills against the Tar Heels and 11 versus the Wolfpack. Izzy Carmona added 10 in the NCSU match and Sarah Burrington chipped in 13 against UNC.
▪ Walch leads the Seminoles with 3.46 kps to rank eighth in the ACC and Elise Walch is adding 2.89 kps. Sarah Wickstrom and Hailey Luke are recording 6.76 and 4.89 assists per set, respectively.
▪ Defensively, Ashley Neff is tallying 1.47 blocks per set to lead the conference and Burrington is notching 1.31 dps. Katie Mosher is picking up 4.29 digs per set.
The Series
▪ FSU leads the all-time series at 27-3 in a history that dates back to the 1980 season. The Seminoles claimed wins in both matches last season, edging the Hokies 3-2 in Blacksburg in 2012.
▪ Gostling and former Hokie Jennifer Wiker posted 13 kills apiece in the match. Neff had 16 kills for FSU.
Up Next: The Hokies return to the road for their next four matches beginning with North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in Chapel Hill, N.C.
For updates on Virginia Tech volleyball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_VBall).