Tech takes off for Syracuse, Boston College

Hokies set for second half of league action

October 26, 2017

Game Notes

BLACKSBURG – Taking a trip to the Northeast at the halfway point of ACC play, the Virginia Tech volleyball team will take on Syracuse at 7 p.m. ET on Friday and Boston College on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Tech (8-13, 2-8 ACC) will clash against two teams that also joined the conference after the turn of the millennium, as all three schools are former members of the BIG EAST. The Orange (15-8, 7-3 ACC) became a member institution of the ACC in 2014 and the Eagles (5-15, 2-8 ACC) in 2005.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Fri. | 7 p.m. ET vs. Syracuse | Stats | Stream
Sun. | 1 p.m. ET vs. Boston College | Stats | Stream

Both of Tech’s two matches will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra. You can watch the action on your computer or on your phone via the WatchESPN app.

The last time out, the Hokies went 1-1 in league play to close the fifth week of ACC competition. Tech swept Wake Forest on its home floor to earn its first home win of the season and fell in five sets to Duke to close the homestand.

As a team, the Hokies hit .318 against the Demon Deacons, which is the highest mark since their first ACC win over Virginia on Sept. 27. Tech has hit over .300 five times this fall and is 5-0 in those matches.

Tech showed off a balanced attack versus the Blue Devils, consisting of kills from Stacey Christy (13), Kaity Smith (15), Ester Talamazzi (15) and Jaila Tolbert (14). It was the first time in 2017 that four Hokies tallied over 13 kills in the same match.

Tolbert hit .609 to guide Tech to its first win in Blacksburg over Wake Forest, adding 15 kills. She owns 51 kills her last three matches (NC State, Wake Forest, Duke). Setter Rhegan Mitchell dished out her third-most assists of the year (55) and almost had a double-double, adding nine digs and tying a season-high five kills against Duke.

Tech is fourth in the conference for opponent digs, owning a 12.66 average per set. Mitchell is third among all ACC players in total assists with 793, and libero Carol Raffety is fourth in the league with 327 digs, averaging 3.88 per set.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

SYRACUSE

• The Orange enter Week 10 of the season with a 15-8 overall record and 7-3 reading in conference play. Syracuse is coming off this past weekend with splitting its two matches versus Georgia Tech (L, 1-3) and Clemson (W, 3-0).

• Head coach Leonid Yelin is in his sixth year in Syracuse. Yelin, who has international experience as both a player and a coach in Uzbekistan, sits at No. 25 in the NCAA among winningest active coaches with a .700 winning percentage. He guided the Orange to their first win over a ranked opponent in 2012, defeating No. 18 Iowa State in Ames.

• Junior Santita Ebangwese paces the Orange with a team-best 116 blocks, while owning a .405 hitting percentage. The middle blocker is 14th nationally and owns the most blocks in the ACC. Setter Jalissa Trotter has dished out 1,186 assists in her career, which ranks 10th in program history.

• The all-time series stands at 7-2 in Virginia Tech’s favor. The Hokies have won sixth of the last seven matches, dating all the way back to 2002. Tech won the last matchup in Syracuse, 3-1, on Nov. 20, 2016.

BOSTON COLLEGE

• The Eagles enter the weekend with a 5-15 overall record and are 2-8 in ACC play. Boston College took on Clemson and Georgia Tech as well, dropping both matches in three sets.

• Outside hitters Cat Balido (221 kills) and Lynn Braakhuis (188) combine for over 400 kills for the Eagles, which is more than 45 percent of the team’s kills. Braakhuis is coming off an eight-kill performance against the Yellow Jackets, including an errorless 18 swings to mark her first time of doing so this season. Libero Jill Strockis has scooped up 282 digs, while averaging 3.69 digs per set.

• Chris Campbell is in his eighth year in Chestnut Hill. Campbell led the Eagles in 2015 to the most wins in a season for BC since 2009. He helped develop Katty Workman, who broke the program’s career kills record and double-doubles record at 51.

• In 23 meetings, Virginia Tech owns the all-time series 17-6. Last year, Tech got the best of Boston College, winning 3-0 at The Heights on Nov. 18.

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