Virginia Tech Volleyball Keeps Its Composure Against Chattanooga, Improves To 5-4

Miles Jordan

Staff Writer

September 19, 2024

BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech volleyball (5-4) defeated the Chattanooga Mocs (8-5) in a come-from-behind four-set match (19-25) (25-15) (25-22) (25-11) on Thursday night at Cassell Coliseum.

The Hokies are hosting the Virginia Tech Classic, inviting Chattanooga and Rider to travel to Cassell Coliseum for a two-day round-robin style contest. Chattanooga kicked off the Classic when they took on Rider at noon on Thursday, just hours before preparing to face Tech at 7 p.m. 

The Mocs defeated Rider in straight sets (25-14) (25-21) (27-25) and looked like the team to beat going into their Thursday night matchup against Tech. That statement rang true as Chattanooga took an early lead over the Hokies, capturing the first set 25-19. 

Chattanooga's early lead was due to the energy they brought into Cassell Coliseum. All 21 members of the Mocs roster were rowdy and energetic, leading chants and disrupting the flow of Tech’s offense.   

From chanting “O-U-T-OUT, you out, you out, you out!” to letting the Hokies hear it after Mocs’ freshman middle blocker Kynli Kirkendoll recorded a kill to continue Chattanoogas four-point run in the first set. “She’s a freshman,” rang out from Chattanooga's bench, rattling the Hokies, who at one point in the first set lost eight out of the previous 10 points.

The energy from the opposing bench and strong play from senior outside hitter Chard’e Vanzandt, who recorded a team-high 10 kills, were the main reasons the Mocs continued to score runs and outperformed the Hokies to capture the first set. Chattanooga put together three separate runs of three or more straight points scored to lead the Hokies by seven at one point in the first set. 

However, going down early in the game did not diminish Virginia Tech's spirit. The Hokies found their rhythm in the second set and answered with a few scoring runs of their own. 

Tech freshman outside hitter Belle Patrick recorded five kills in the second set, helping the Hokies win eight out of the nine previous points scored. She helped win three straight points, which Tech followed up with a five-point run to take a 13-8 lead in Set Two. 

From there, the Hokies never looked back, and neither did Patrick. The true freshman finished the contest with a game-high 15 kills, picking her spots easily at the feet of Chattanooga players. 

But Patrick couldn't take all the credit or all the fun from Virginia Tech's hitters, who had no problem sharing the kill wealth. Sophomore right-side hitter Hailey Pearce (13), junior right-side hitter Sarah Malinowski (11) and junior middle blocker Jasmine Robinson (10) joined Patrick, as all four Hokies captured 10+ kills. Their efforts were a significant factor in Tech closing the game by winning the final three sets. 

The Hokies recorded 62 total kills on 55 assists — 20 more kills and 19 more assists than the Mocs. However, while the offensive performances of the four aforementioned Hokies stars are not to be overlooked, the defensive performance of graduate student outside hitter Leandra Mangual Duran quietly kept Tech in the game. 

Duran recorded 20 digs — her most with the Hokies after transferring from Missouri — sacrificing her body for the team's betterment. Not only was Duran everywhere on the Hokies’ defensive side of the court, but she also recorded a kill as a libero, truly impacting the game on both sides of the ball. 

Virginia Tech’s energy replicated how Chattanooga entered the game by the final set. It cheered loudly on points won and lost, celebrated on the bench, and looked like they were genuinely having fun as the stress of losing the first set washed off their faces. 

The Virginia Tech Classic will continue on Friday, September 20, at 6 p.m. when the Hokies take on Rider in hopes of capturing their second win in two days and fourth in the past five games.