No. 3 Stanford Defeats Virginia Volleyball in Four Sets to Open ACC Play
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Virginia Cavaliers volleyball team (7-4, 0-1 ACC) fought hard but ultimately fell to the No.3 ranked Stanford Cardinal (10-2, 1-0) in four sets (15-25, 14-25, 25-22, 17-25) on Saturday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena. Despite the loss, the Cavaliers showed resilience, securing their first-ever set win against the cardinal and marking a program milestone.
Key Performances
Freshman Reagan Ennist led the UVA attack with a season-best 11 kills.Veteran Kate Dean contributed seven kills and matched a match-high with seven blocks,while Zoey Dodd also recorded a career-high seven blocks.
How the Match Unfolded
Stanford dominated the first two sets, establishing early leads and capitalizing on UVA errors. The Cardinal jumped out to a 9-3 advantage in the first set and a 12-4 lead in the second, ultimately securing cozy wins.
However, the Cavaliers refused to go down without a fight. Virginia rallied in the third set,taking an early lead and holding off Stanford’s attempts to close the gap. A powerful kill from Layrn Bowie sealed the set for UVA, forcing a fourth set.
The fourth set proved to be the most competitive, featuring nine ties and six lead changes. Despite the back-and-forth action,stanford ultimately pulled away with a decisive 10-1 run,securing the victory.
Notable Stats & Program Firsts
* This was Virginia’s first-ever set win against stanford.
* The third-set victory tied for the highest set win over a ranked opponent in UVA program history.
* Stanford now leads the all-time series against Virginia 3-0.
* Saturday’s loss marked the Cavaliers’ first at John Paul Jones Arena this season.
* Virginia is now 1-4 in ACC openers under Head Coach Shannon Wells.
Coach Wells on the Team’s Performance
Head Coach Shannon Wells acknowledged the challenges the team has faced with recent injuries, leading to a lineup change. “We put in a new lineup yesterday to try to save some bodies and put our healthiest group out there,” she explained. Despite the setbacks, Wells emphasized the team’s focus on building a strong gym culture and encouraging players to “invest in each other and allow each other to play vulnerable and take big swings.”
What’s Next?
The Cavaliers will look to rebound from this loss as they continue ACC play.Details on their next match will be released on world-today-news.com as they become available.
Keywords: UVA Volleyball, Virginia Cavaliers, Stanford Cardinal, NCAA Volleyball, ACC Volleyball, College Sports, Reagan Ennist, Kate Dean, Shannon Wells, John Paul Jones Arena.
