Virginia Tech Volleyball Stumbles to an 0-3 Performance in the Northwestern Invitational

The Virginia Tech volleyball team traveled to Evanston, Illinois to play in the Northwestern Invitation. The Hokies played three matches, against the host Northwestern, Wiconsin-Green Bay, and Long Island University. Outside hitter Reese Hazelton had a weekend for the ages with two double-doubles in kills and digs, and Sara Gasparini entered the starting lineup. Unfortunately, neither dynamic could prevent the Hokies from going 0-3 in Evanston.

VIRGINIA TECH FALLS TO NORTHWESTERN IN THREE SETS (17-25, 20-25, 23-25)

When you look at several high-level statistics for the three sets, the two teams’ numbers appear relatively even. Virginia Tech had 34 kills to Northwestern’s 35.  Virginia Tech had 6 aces to Northwestern’s 5. Both teams had 4 blocks, 32 assists, and 50 digs. Tightly fought contest in Evanston, Illinois? Not really.

FIRST SET - VIRGINIA TECH LOSES 17-25

While Northwestern was largely in control throughout the early parts of the set, Virginia Tech was able to keep it close for a while, never going down by more than 3 points. The Hokies had the set within two points at 16-18 on the basis of a kill by Adeline Hundl. Unfortunately, a sequence of attack errors by the Hokies derailed any potential to take the set.

• Attack error by Reese Hazelton - score 16-19

• Attack error by Adeline Hundl - score 16-20

• Attack error by Reese Hazelton - score 16-21 - Virginia Tech timeout

• Attack error by Reese Hazelton - scored 16-22 

That sequence, with balls sailing long past the end line, put the set out of reach. Indeed, the set ended on an attack error, with the attempt blocked by Northwestern. Overall, the Hokies had 8 attack errors to only 7 kills for a hitting percentage of -.029 in the set.  Combine those errors with 3 service errors and 3 service aces by the Wildcats, and the Hokies essentially hurt themselves to the tune of 14 points given to Northwestern.

SECOND SET - VIRGINIA TECH LOSES 20-25

The Hokies played better in the second set, even carving out a 6-3 lead early in the frame on the basis of nice strikes but Adeline Hundl and Isabella Mishler.

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REESE & IZZY 🤯 Not getting over with this duo at the net! S3 VT 14 | NU 11

Unfortunately, four straight attack errors by Virginia Tech allowed Northwestern to recover and claim an 8-7 lead. The Wildcats continued to create distance and built a 21-13 advantage.

Virginia Tech fought back. Camdynn Gonzalez set up Layla Moore for a kill and, with the score 22-14, Gonzalez, Camilla Brandalise and their attackers went to work: Gonzalez served up Mishler for a kill, Brandalise delivered a service ace, and she combined with Mishler and Hundl to pull the Hokies to within three at 22-19. Northwestern, however, held off Virginia Tech to close out the set, 25-20.

THIRD SET - VIRGINIA TECH LOSES 23-25

The third set was Virginia Tech’s strongest of the match. The Hokies took advantage of mistakes by Northwestern and delivered an array of attacks from a variety of sources: Destiny Walker, Adeline Hundl, Frances Torres, Isabella Mishler, and Reese Hazelton all had kills to give Virginia Tech momentum toward a 10-6 lead.

Virginia Tech Volleyball
@HokiesVB

REESE & IZZY 🤯 Not getting over with this duo at the net! S3 VT 14 | NU 11

Northwestern would not go away, and two teams battled back and forth until Walker tied the set at 21-21 and Hundl tipped the ball into empty space to give the Hokies a 22-21 lead. A service error and an attack error gave Northwestern the lead back, but then a Wildcat attack error allowed the Hokies to close within 23-24 before Northwestern finished out the set and match, 25-23.

Match Notes:

• Isabella Mishler and Adeline Hundl shined with 9 kills apiece.

• Layla Moore was third on the team with 5 kills, while Destiny Walker and Reese Hazelton had 4 kills each.

• Camilla Brandalise led the Hokies with 20 assists and only 1 set error. 

• Camdynn Gonzalez was second on the team with 10 assists and had zero set errors.

• Ivy Cooper finished with 16 digs. Destiny Walker had 11 while Reese Hazelton finished with 8 digs.

• Destiny Walker led the team with 27 receptions without a single error. Reese Hazelton added 18 receptions, and Ivy Cooper added 12.

The biggest issue, as I highlighted in the description of Set One, is the number of attacking errors and the team’s hitting percentage. Isabella Mishler was outstanding when she had opportunities, delivering 9 kills to go with a .471 hitting percentage. Otherwise, the team combined for 25 attack errors across the match, with a couple of hitters finishing with negative percentages.

Virginia Tech’s hitting percentage improved by set from -.029 in set one, .088 in set two, and .156 in set three - for an overall .080 hitting percentage. Combining the low hitting efficiency with 9 total service errors, the Hokies gave away too many points, and Northwestern capitalized.

WISCONSIN-GREEN BAY TAKES DOWN THE HOKIES IN FIVE SETS (24-26, 25-23, 16-25, 25-21, 9-15)

Virginia Tech looked to rebound Saturday against Wisconsin-Green Bay. The team had one of its better matches of the year, hitting .240 as a team and blocking 16 shots. Unfortunately, the Hokies could not close out a hard fought match that went 5 sets.

FIRST SET - VIRGINIA TECH FALLS 24-26

Virginia Tech built an early 6-3 lead with kills from Adeline Hundl, Layla Moore, and Sara Gasparini, who took Destiny Walker’s place in the lineup. The Hokies were largely playing well, with Reese Hazelton delivering 9 total kills across the frame. However, Wisconsin-Green Bay fought back and tied the set at 15-15. Both teams were hitting well:  the Phoenix hit .371 for the set whereas the Hokies hit .343 with only 4 attack errors. 

After falling behind, the Hokies fought back to get to match point at 24-22. However, the Phoenix closed on 4-0 run to take the opening set, with the final point coming on an attack error by the Hokies.

SECOND SET - VIRGINIA TECH WINS 25-23

Virginia Tech responded in the second set, with Reese Hazelton leading the way with 9 kills. Setters Camilla Brandalise and Camdynn Gonzalez created opportunities for Hazelton, Layla Moore, Isabella Mishler, and Frances Torres to build 5-2 and then 16-10 leads for the Hokies.

Green Bay fought back to grade a 18-17 lead before Sara Gasparini delivered a kill and a service area to put Virginia Tech back in front, 20-18. With the set tied at 22-22, Gasparini and Adeline Hundle put away kills, and Mishler and Hundl combined on a block to give the Hokies the 25-23 win.

THIRD SET - VIRGINA TECH FALTERS AS GREEN BAY COMES BACK, 16-25

Virginia Tech’s hitting plummeted precipitously in the third set: after hitting .343 and .308 respectively in the first two sets, the Hokies hit. .108 in the third set. Meanwhile, the Phoenix were hot, using five kills to jump out to a 6-1 lead. Behind a dominant .297 hitting attack, Green Bay opened up a 13-point advantage at 21-8.

Virginia Tech did not go away: Sara Gasparini (2), Adeline Hundl (1), Reese Hazelton (1), Isabella Mishler (1), and Frances Torres (1) all delivered kills, with Garaspini and Mishler providing two assists during the stretch that closed the deficit to 24-16.  It ended up being too little, too late as the Phoenix closed out the set, 25-16.

FOURTH SET - VIRGINIA TECH EVENS UP THE MATCH, 25-21

With the fourth set tied at 4-4, Reese Hazelton put on her own personal hitting display, knocking down 6 kills to give the Hokies a 16-15 lead in the back-and-forth frame. After Green Bay tied the set at 16-16, Hazelton knocked down two straight kills bookended by strikes from Frances Torres and Isabella Mishler to ignite a 5-0 Hokie run. Errors by the Phoenix staked the Hokies to a seven point advantage at 23-17.  Virginia Tech closed out the set with a kill from Sara Gasparini, 25-21, to force a deciding fifth set.

FIFTH SET -  HOKIES LOSE THE SET AND MATCH, 9-15

The Hokies battled early in a back-and-forth start to the match. However, with the Hokies down 4-5, Wisconsin-Green Bay went on a streak of three straight kills to extend its lead to 4-8.  A Reese Hazelton kill and a Green Bay service error made it 6-10, but the Phoenix continued to pressure the Hokie defense to finish out the set, 9-15 and win the match.

Match Notes:

• Wisconsin-Green Bay had four players with double-digit kills, paced by Diane Pichelman’s 17 kills (hitting percentage .444).

• Reese Hazelton outdid Pichelman with a career high 26 kills and 18 digs for her own double-double.

• Sara Gasparini, playing in place of Destiny Walker, also recorded a double-double with 11 kills and 14 digs.

• Isabella Mishler recorded 11 kills and had a team high .400 hitting percentage.

• Adeline Hundl continued her strong season with 9 kills and 6 digs.

• Frances Torres (hitting .333) and Layla Moore (hitting .357) made their presence felt with 6 kills each.

• Camilla Brandalise led the Hokies with 30 assists, while Camdynn Gonzalez contributed 19 assists.

• Ivy Copper led the team with 26 digs on defense and 60 serve receptions.

• Reese Hazelton (18), Sara Gasparini (14), Camilla Brandalise (12), and Camdynn Gonzalez (7) paced Virginia Tech’s defensive efforts with digs against the Phoenix attack.

• Virginia Tech had 69 kills for a .240 hitting percentage overall. Unfortunately, it went . 183 in the pivotal fifth set and .108 in the third set.

VIRGINIA TECH FALLS TO LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY SHARKS, 0-3 (16-25, 25-23, 20-25, 22-25)

The Long Island Sharks entered its matchup against Virginia Tech winless on the season at 0-7. Six of those matches had been against the following P4 programs: Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Washington State, Rutgers, and Northwestern. In fact, Long Island had only won 1 set out of 19 against that lineup.

FIRST SET - VIRGINIA TECH FALLS TO LONG ISLAND, 16-25

Virginia Tech kept the first close early with two kills from Isabella Mishler and one from Adeline Hundl that tied the set at 3-3. LIU created three point advantages at 9-6 and 15-12, behind offense from Reese Hazelton, Frances Torres, and Mishler. Every time the Sharks threatened to pull away, the Hokies would deliver a kill to keep it close. However, Long Island pushed the margin to seven at 21-14. After a Virginia Tech timeout, kills from Torres and Mishler cut the deficit to 23-16, but the Hokies could get no closer as Long Island knocked down two straight kills to take the set, 25-16.

SECOND SET - VIRGINIA TECH WINS, 25-23

The Hokies jumped all over the Sharks to start the second set. Reese Hazelton, who continued her strong weekend, served up three straight aces. Isabella Mishler and Sara Garasparini complemented Hazelton’s efforts with kills to help build a 6-1 lead.

Even when Long Island cut Virginia Tech’s lead to 14-12, Adeline Hundl and Misher kept the Sharks at bay with kills.  LIU tied the frame at 16-16 due Tech service and attack errors. From there, it was anyone’s set with runs by both teams until it was tied 23-23. Hazelton put down a kill and then Misheler and Frances Torres came through with a block to give Virginia Tech the final point and 25-23 win.

THIRD SET - THE HOKIES FALTER, 20-24

Virginia Tech quickly fell behind 5-2 on the basis of a service error, an attack error, and a block by Long Island.  The Sharks continued their momentum, building a 10-3 lead behind four kills and another attack error. 

The Hokies fought back to cut the lead to 14-12.  Reese Hazelton delivered four kills, while Layla Moore and Frances Torres had one kill each, to keep Virginia Tech in the set. Both teams traded errors and kills with Long Island getting the better of the exchange, expanding a one point lead at 19-18 lead to 21-18. Hazelton tried to help the Hokies fight back, but Long Island knocked down four kills to take the set, 25-20.

FOURTH SET - VIRGINIA TECH LOSES, 22-25

Down two sets to one, Virginia Tech needed to respond. After falling behind 5-1, the Hokies did respond. Reese Hazelton helped Virginia Tech shake off its doldrums with two kills and two straight service aces to take a 10-8 lead.

The teams traded points and leads until the score was tied 21-21. Two straight kills by Long Island pushed the Hokies to the brink at 23-21. Frances Torres notched a kill to bring Virginia Tech within one, but the Sharks struck twice to win the set, 25-22 and match, 3 sets to 1.

Match Notes:

• Reese Hazelton led Virginia Tech with 16 kills (hitting .256) and 19 blocks for her second double-double of the weekend. She added 6 blocks and 3 aces as she fought to keep the Hokies in sets.

• Isabelle Mishler was second on the team with 11 kills and continued to be the model of consistency with a .400 hitting percentage.

• Frances Torres added 10 kills, while Sara Gasparini contributed 6 kills.

• Adeline Hundl and Laya Moore also had 6 kills and 4 kills, respectively.

• Camille Brandalise led the Hokies with 26 assists, while Camdynn Gonzalez delivered 21.

• Reese Hazelton was the only Hokie with a service ace, cutting through the Shark defense to the tune of 6 aces

• Sara Gasparini led all Hokies with 45 serve receptions.

• Ivy Cooper led Virginia Tech with 23 digs whereas Reese Hazelton was second with 19 and Sara Gasparini was third on the team with 13.

• Virginia Tech’s hitting percentage dropped to .093 in the third set and .175 in the fourth set, with 6 attack errors in each of those ill-fated sets.

PLAYER FOCUS

The lineup is full of players fighting hard to produce positive results. Reese Hazelton is deserves focus as she finished the weekend with double-doubles in kills and digts: she had 26 kills and 18 digs against Wisconsin-Green Bay and 16 kills and 19 digs against Long Island. Indeed, she leads the team with a 3.37 kills per set. Hazelton also leads the team in service aces with 14 for the season. The program brought in a number of new hitters, but Hazeleton remains the focal point of the attack.

Isabella Mishler is a steady presence inside who delivers when she gets opportunities. She is second on the team with a hitting percentage of .302 (second to Layla Moore's .325) but fourth with 1.97 kills per set.

Setters Camilla Brandalise and Camrynn Gonzalez are dishing out 6.57 and 4.07 assists per set; the key is those to translate into an improved hitting percentage. Reducing attack errors that are not blocked is a key in helping the Hokies improve their outlook going into ACC play.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Hokies need to regroup coming out of the tournament in Evanston. They travel to Colombia, South Carolina to play the University of South Carolina on September 18.  The match is scheduled to start at 6:00 pm and will be streamed on the SEC Network.  The Gamecocks are 6-2, coming off 3-1 wins over Clemson and Wofford. Their only blemishes are a four set loss to California and a sweep by Michigan State. South Carolina is hitting .261 as a team to Virginia Tech’s .199, so the Hokie offense and defense will need to be on to have a successful weekend. Virginia Tech will then begin ACC play at Georgia Tech on September 25.