Hokies fall to Miami at home

123F
Miami (19-5 (13-5 ACC)) 2525253
Virginia Tech (9-20 (3-15 ACC)) 1922140
  • Cassell Coliseum - 468

Box Score (PDF)

BLACKSBURG – In its final match on a Sunday this season, the Virginia Tech volleyball team was defeated by Miami (Fla.), 3-0, at Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum.

The Hokies (9-20, 3-15 ACC) were led by senior Cara Cunningham, who tallied eight kills on 10 errorless swings and a block. Outside hitter Olga Strantzali carried the load for the Hurricanes (19-5, 13-5 ACC) with a team-high 10 kills and four digs.

Starting off the match with the lead, Miami gained an 11-7 advantage, forcing Tech to take a timeout. Out of the break, the Hurricanes kept it going and pushed their lead to 18-11, before junior Jaila Tolbert rattled off two kills in a row followed by one more to cut it to 19-14. Both sides would trade points after Tolbert’s run, scoring five each until Miami’s Elizaveta Lukianova put down a kill to win it, 25-19.

With the score knotted at 7-7 after a Rhegan Mitchell kill, the largest advantage a team would sustain was two points all the way up to 23-20 in Miami’s favor. In between the 11 ties and six lead changes, freshman Ester Talamazzi went off, drilling six kills and three digs. Trailing by three points at 23-20, head coach Jill Wilson’s squad clawed back to make it 23-22, but the ‘Canes would call a timeout and proceed to score the next two points following the break to claim it, 25-23.

Miami began the final frame scoring eight of the first 10 points, causing Tech to take a timeout. Following the pause in action, the Hurricanes extended their lead to eight points at 15-7, making the Hokies burn another timeout. Miami would storm off on a 9-2 run to get it to match point, but Tech put together a 5-0 run behind two kills from Talamazzi and one from Tolbert. However, the ‘Canes scored the final point to take the stanza, 25-14, and the match.

NOTES

- Cunningham posted eight kills to hit a career-high .800 (minimum 10 attacks). The eight kills were her second-most of the season and the highest mark since opening weekend. It marks the second time this fall the middle blocker has not made a mistake on an attack, and her fifth-straight match of owning five or more kills.

- Mitchell was close to another double-double, dishing out 26 assists and being just two digs shy of 10, while earning a kill. She has racked up 15 kills in the month of November from the setter position.

- Sophomore Carol Raffety scooped up a team-high nine digs and posted four assists. Since her career-high seven assists versus Duke on Oct. 22, the libero has turned in 31 assists in her last nine matches.

- Tolbert registered seven kills on a hitting clip of .375, as well as chipping in five digs. The Minnesota native has collected 17 digs her last three contests, marking her best three-match stretch of the fall.

- Talamazzi followed up her best performance of the month with another one, tallying a team-high 11 kills, seven digs and an assist. The Italy native racked up 26 kills and 12 digs on the weekend.

STAT OF THE MATCH

- Cunningham’s hitting percentage of .800 is the second-highest of any Hokie this year, almost topping the mark of freshman Marisa Cerchio’s .833, when the squad took on Toledo on Sept. 9.

TWEET OF THE DAY

WHAT IS NEXT

The Hokies will get a short time of rest as they compete again on Wednesday versus Virginia at 4 p.m. ET at Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum.

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

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