November 28, 2015
Hokies down Cavaliers in five-set fashion on Senior Day
Three Hokies record double-figure kills
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Virginia (18-13) 2026212572
Virginia Tech (19-13) 25242523153
  • Cassell Coliseum - 644

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech volleyball team prevailed through five sets to wrap up Senior Day with a Commonwealth Clash victory over Virginia on Saturday afternoon.

The Hokies and Cavaliers traded sets until Tech came out victorious with a 15-7 decision in the fifth game by holding UVA to a -.045 attack in the frame. The win improved Tech’s overall record to 19-13 while Virginia drops to 18-13. The schools share the eighth spot in the ACC with a 10-10 mark.

Seniors Kennedy Bryan and Kenedy McGrath steadied the team throughout the match. Bryan tallied seven kills with three crucial blocks to change the momentum of the match while McGrath collected 22 digs to ground the defense. McGrath’s 483 kills this season place her ninth in Tech’s single-season digs record book.

“Both Kennedy Bryan and Kenedy McGrath have been valuable members of our team, on and off the court, these last four years,” head coach Chris Riley said. “It’s sad to see them graduate but I know they will be extremely successful in their futures. We love them and will miss them both very much.”

Lindsey Owens led the attack against Virginia, swatting 20 kills with 8 digs and 5 blocks. Amanda McKinzie and Ashley Battle added double-figure kills of 11 and 10, respectively. Battle also posted seven blocks, three behind Jaila Tolbert who led the match with 10. Setters Rhegan Mitchell and Kyra Coundourides assisted 32 and 18 of the Hokies 60 kills, respectively, to clinch the victory.

Despite double-doubles by both Virginia’s Haley Kole and Natalie Bausback, the Cavaliers could not come up with the win. Kole downed 18 kills while Bausback recorded 13. Anna Walsh also posted double-figure kills with 15 while collecting six blocks. Four Cavaliers tallied double-digit digs but the Hokies found the floor to come out victorious.

The Hokies jumped on the board early in the opening frame, holding a four-point lead throughout a majority of the set. Tolbert posted three of her blocks consecutively to set the tone for the frame. Owens and Bryan five and four kills apiece to lead Tech’s attack to the 25-20 decision.

McKinzie tallied five kills in the second frame while Battle, Owens, and Tolbert posted two blocks apiece. Tech and UVA battled through 18 tie scores and six lead changes before the Cavaliers met the 26-24 mark led by Walsh’s 5-for-6 attack.

The Hokies and Cavaliers continued their fight into the third stanza with 10 more tie scores and four lead changes. However, the tides changed with the Hokies as the 25-21 victors after posting 10 blocks as a team with Owens leading the attack with four kills.

Mirroring the second game, Virginia secured the 25-23 win despite Owens’ six kills. Kole’s seven kills were the difference-maker in the Cavaliers’ victory.

The Hokies found momentum going into the final set, battling through two early tie scores and lead changes. Battle attacked at a perfect 3-for-3 rate while Owens posted a .667 clip. Tech took its largest lead of the match with the 15-7 final set score to secure the second five-set win of the season.

This afternoon’s match was presented by Virginia529, the official college savings plan of Virginia Tech Athletics. With a victory by Virginia Tech, the team has added added a half point to Tech’s total for the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash. The score for the Clash is now, University of Virginia 3.5 and Virginia Tech 1.5. Learn more about Virginia529 and this new competition at www.thecommonwealthclash.com.

For updates on Virginia Tech volleyball, follow the Hokies on Twitter and on Instagram @vthokievolleyball Instagram

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