If you aren’t already, you should be paying more attention to Jackets Volleyball, because unlike the other ball-centric sport on the Flats right now, they are, well, good. The squad opened ACC play with a bang, cruising to straight-set victories over both Virginia and Virginia Tech. The performance continues the trend of home dominance on the hardwood, as the Jackets are 6-0 in six sold-out contests, winning 18 of 20 sets.
VS Virginia Tech
First Set (0-0):
The early days of the first set were quite
competitive, as the Jackets and Hokies exchanged points leading to a mid-set score of 10-7. Tech then embarked on a 15-1 run, closing the set in blowout fashion. That stretch can mostly be attributed to stellar defense, as the Hokies made nine attack errors, five of which came off blocks by Zoe Humphrey, Magda Kobaidze, and Alida Bennour. Humphrey contributed most of the run’s offense, tallying four kills, including the set winner.
Second Set (GT: 1-0):
The Jackets rode that momentum into the second set, jumping out to an 11-3 lead, punctuated by back-to-back kills from Laura Perugini Bieleski, forcing VT to call their first timeout of the set. While VT would flirt with a comeback, namely with a 5-0 run to bring the lead within six, it never was close, as the Jackets would cruise to a 25-13 victory. Bennour again made an impact, this time on offense, picking up four of Tech’s six aces.
Third Set (GT: 2-0):
The third set was a good show for the sold-out crowd, as the Jackets and Hokies were neck and neck the entire way. Until a late VT timeout, neither team fell behind by more than three, and rallies often stretched into the 20- or 30-second range. But it was clear the Jackets had an edge. Those long rallies were fairly one-sided, with Tech’s big swingers doing damage, and the Hokie defense barely able to recover. Out of the timeout with a 21-18 score, Tech came alive and finished the job after a trio of kills by Perugini Bieleski, securing the sweep. Tech racked up 19 kills in the set, with Perugini Bieleski and Kobaidze leading the way with six and five, respectively.
VS Virginia:
First Set (0-0):
The Jackets stayed consistent through the first set, gaining some distance after two back-to-back aces by Bennour, taking a 9-4 lead into a Cavalier timeout. The break helped refocus Virginia, but only momentarily; the Cavs drew close before squandering their momentum on three straight errors, giving the Jackets a 15-8 lead into the media timeout. Virginia showed some fight late in the set, as an ace and good defense against Bennour sparked a 4-0 run that forced Tech to take their first timeout of the weekend. Whatever head coach Michelle Collier said during that timeout worked, as Tech rallied back to end the set on a kill by Kobaidze, 25-19.
Second Set (GT: 1-0):
The second set finished with the same score, 25-19, but had a totally different path to get there. The Jackets faced adversity for the first time all weekend, trailing for most of the set in a back-and-forth affair, with Virginia’s Caroline Lang leading the way with four kills, and the Cavs holding a 15-12 lead into the media timeout. It didn’t take long for Tech to get back into it: a couple of kills by Bennour and a strong defensive stand allowed the Jackets to retake an 18-17 lead. The Jackets would build on this momentum, ending the set on a 7-2 run.
Third Set (GT: 2-0):
Same story, different set. It started close, tied at 13-13 through the first half of the set. The Jackets then closed on a 12-3 run to win 25-16. This set, and the match as a whole, highlighted the ease of the Jackets’ offensive operation. Attacks were well defended, and sets were consistent and clean. We have Heloise Soares to thank for the latter, as she assisted on 35 of the Jackets’ 43 kills. Bennour earned a good share of those kills: 21, the most by a single Jackets player in a three-set match since 2022.
The Jackets take the show up to North Carolina this weekend, facing Duke and No. 25-ranked UNC. While it’s still early, the consistency of the attack through early ACC play inspires hope that the Jackets will make a splash in the NCAA tournament.
