EMORY, Va. – The UVA Wise volleyball team took down Emory & Henry Tuesday night, marking its seventh win of the season, the most in a season in program history since 2016.
It was a back and forth affair for five continuous sets before the Cavs finally finished the win 20-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22 and 15-7.
The Cavaliers had three hitters finish with double digit kills,led by junior outside hitter Kaylee Scarce who totaled 17.
Emory & Henry jumped out to an early 12-5 lead in the first after a 6-0 run and never looked back. The Cavs would get the lead down to just one-point after a kill from Scarce made it 15-14 but the Wasps responded with a 4-0 run that was too much for the Cavs to come back from.
The Cavaliers came out of the gates in the second set with everything clicking. Two kills from junior outside hitter Morgan Blevins gave UVA Wise a boost as they scrambled to a 6-1 lead.
The Wasps would not go away quietly, however, evening the set at 15-15 as senior outside hitter Brianna Hogan gathered a couple of kills to put her team back in it.
Hogan finished the match with 15 kills to lead the Wasps.
The set would stay deadlocked until it was 19-19, then UVA Wise woke up.
The Cavs turned around and stung Emory & Henry for six straight points to win the set and even the match at 1-1. The 6-0 run was capped off by freshman libero Abigail Curtis drilling back-to-back service aces.
In the third set, UVA Wise was in control in the late stages 17-12 and nearing a stranglehold of the competition. It was then that the Cavs would concede seven of their 30 attacking errors on the night and the Wasps capitalized by winning the set 25-23.
The two set losses tonight for UVA Wise continued their streak of competitiveness in the SAC this season. In 16 SAC sets played this year, the Cavs have lost 12. None of those 12 have been lost by more than five points.
After giving up the third set, the Cavs had a difficult challenge ahead of them. The set opened 11-7 in favor of the Wasps and UVA Wise could feel the match slipping away. Five of the next seven points were for the red and white as the Cavs got production from everywhere.
Blevins and Scarce each had a kill as well as freshman outside hitter Riley Brandon, pulling the Cavs within one point.
Sophomore setter Piper Suddeth had a big night and one of her biggest sets was in the third. She contributed five assists and an ace as the Cavaliers held on to win and force a fifth set.
Suddeth finished a team-high 22 assists and a match-high 18 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Each mark is a career high for Suddeth as her 22 helpers tied her career from just six days ago against Carson-Newman and her 18 digs set a new mark.
The Cavs would lean on their other star setter, junior Lily Gutierrez in the final set.
UVA Wise grabbed an early 6-3 lead, but the Wasps hung tight to make it 7-5. That's when Gutierrez had serve and would not give it up for the next six points.
Suddenly, behind Gutierrez's serves, a kill from senior middle hitter Cassidy Farley and four attacking errors from Emory & Henry, the Cavaliers led 13-6 and were staring victory in the face.
Another kill from Farley and one more from Scarce, both assisted by Gutierrez, propelled the Cavalier bench on the floor to celebrate the victory.
The win moves UVA Wise to 7-4 (2-3 SAC) on the year, surpassing its win total from a season ago. The Cavs have now matched their conference win total from last season in just five matches.
UVA Wise will look to continue its hot streak as its won four of the last six matches. The Cavs will face Newberry College on the road in Newberry, S.C. Friday, Sep. 29 at 6 p.m.
