Nov. 21, 2008

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Playing in her last match at Reynolds Gym, graduate student Natalie Mullikin put away 21 kills and was a force at the net with five blocks in leading Wake Forest to a 3-1 victory over Virginia Friday evening. Mullikin's 21 kills were just one shy of her career-high.

Freshman Carlin Salmon also played a strong match out of the middle blocker position for the Deacs (19-12, 10-9 ACC), posting nine kills and a career-high seven total blocks.

The win (25-18, 20-25, 27-25, 25-19) may not have been possible without a tremendous comeback in the pivotal third-set for Wake. Trailing 24-21 and facing three-set points, the Deacons ran off six of the next seven points to win the set 27-25.

The loss drops Virginia to 16-14 overall and 8-10 in the conference and also snaps a three-match winning streak.

The Cavaliers had three players finish with double-digit kills led by Beth Shelton's 19. She also recorded 13 digs to finish with the only double-double of the night. Lauren Dickson finished with 16 kills and Shannon Davis added 11.

Wake held Virginia to a .184 hitting percentage on the night thanks in large part to 12 total blocks and the strong play out of the back row. Junior Abby Miller recorded a match-high 23 digs while sophomore libero Megan Thornberry chipped in with 22 digs. It was the second time this season that the duo each collected over 20 digs in a match.

Also playing her final match in the friendly confines of Reynolds Gym tonight was senior Ashley Homitz. The Jacksonville, Fla., native put away nine kills and added three blocks and two digs.

It seems like a theme this season but every time the Deacs pull out a big victory, sophomore setter Kelsey Jones has had a magnificent match and tonight was no exception. She dished out 53 assists (13.25 per set) and added five digs, four blocks and four kills. She has now gone over the 1,200-kill mark this season.

Sophomore Lauren McIntyre posted nine kills, six digs and four blocks in the victory.

Wake won the hitting battle for the second straight night, clubbing at a .258 clip and out blocked the Hoos 12 to 6. The Deacs also out dug Virginia 74 to 66.

The first set was played rather close at the start until Wake reeled off a 5-1 run, keyed by a pair of kills from Mullikin, to give the Deacs a 13-10 advantage. Wake eventually opened up a 20-15 lead to force UVA to burn a second timeout. Wake would hold the lead the rest of the way, winning 25-18. Wake hit .209 with 14 kills in the set while Virginia had a total of nine errors for an .070 hitting percentage.

The Cavaliers turned the tables on the Deacons in the second set, hitting .227 with a match-high 16 kills to take the set 25-20. Despite Wake scoring eight of the first nine points, UVA slowly chipped away and tied the score several times. At 19-19, the Cavaliers got seven kills in the next eight points, with the final three coming off the arm of Davis to win the set 25-20.

The third set was what eventually decided the match. It started out slowly as neither team took off until a 7-3 run by the Cavaliers gave them a 16-13 lead and forced Wake to call the first timeout of the set. The Deacs scored the next two points to pull within one but just couldn't get over the hump and even the score.

UVA forced a Wake attack error and got a kill from Davis to open up a 22-19 lead but a pair of block assists from Salmon would bring the Deacs within two at 23-21. A kill from Dickson gave UVA three set points at 24-21 but a kill from Salmon followed by a thunderous kill from fellow freshman Cambrey Oehler brought Wake to within one a 24-23.

Then the Deacs relied on their defense as a pair of diving digs by Miller and Thornberry would eventually force a UVA hitting error to even the score at 24-24. Mullikin and Homitz would then stuff a Cavalier attack to take a 25-24 lead but another kill from Dickson would again even the score at 25-all. Mullikin then said enough is enough scoring her eighth and ninth kills of the set to give Wake a 27-25 victory.

Wake clearly had the momentum heading into the fourth set and ran out to a 9-3 lead. The Deacons would never relinquish the lead the rest of the set despite UVA tying the score on three different occasions. The last of which came at 13-13 and that's when a kill from Oehler and back-to-back kills from Mullikin sparked a 12-5 run the closed out the set and match 25-19 in favor of the Deacs. Oehler had four of her five kills in the fourth set.

The Demon Deacons hit a blistering .438 in the final stanza, collecting 17 kills on only three errors. Virginia also hit well in the fourth set, recording 15 kills and hitting .303.

Wake finishes play at home with a splendid 14-3 record, which included a 12-1 start that set a new school record.

The Deacs will wrap up the season on Tuesday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium for a 7 p.m. match with the Duke Blue Devils.