Charlottesville, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW): UVA Volleyball, who entered play yesterday with 17 wins, in what has been their best season in recent memory, had their turn come at last to throw their hats into the ring for the Commonwealth Clash against the Virginia Tech Hokies.  The Hokies, by contrast, only earned seven wins before yesterday, and badly needed a victory against their bitter rivals on the road in Charlottesville.   The match that followed with these conditions in place was electric.

 In the first set, the two squads fought back and forth with one another all the way to a 24-24 tie.  At set point, the Hokies charged over the top at earned the final two points to take the lead in the match 1-0.  Virginia then answered back in set two, putting a firm hand on the momentum.  Their highest lead in set two was 12-5, and they did not let the Hokies back into the set, tying the match with a 25-16 victory.  Tech then tried their hand at the shock and awe approach to begin set three, storming out to a 10-5 lead.  The Hoos hung in it, bringing the score to 16-13, but that was as far as they got towards the lead, as the Hokies pushed set three over the finish line with a 25-19 win to once again take the lead in the match, 2-1.   UVA, with their backs against the wall, could not find a way to escape the Hokies despite building a lead in set four, with the visitors getting as close as 13-12.   The Hoos got their groove back courtesy in part of a block by Abby Tadder and Kadynce Booth, allowing them to go on a 4-0 run late in the set to tie the match and force set five by a score of 25-19.  The Hokies got to within three points of taking the lead in set five with the score at 10-7, but the Hoos scored five of the last six points to take the set and the match with a set five score of 25-19.

 The win was Virginia’s 18th of the year, but the Hokies will have an opportunity for revenge next week in Blacksburg on Friday on ACCNX.