VCU Volleyball continued thriving Friday night in Atlantic 10 action against Duquesne. The nation’s longest active winning streak added another sweep while celebrating Black & Gold milestones inside the Siegel Center.

Black & Gold Opening Trio

In the first set, VCU got out to an early lead with 4 straight kills. The trio of Tori Baldwin, Alica Kandler, and Gina Tuzzolo caused Duquesne problems all over the court. Kandler added on a service ace to put VCU further ahead at 11-4.

Duquesne was able to reset after a much-needed timeout; the Dukes were able to cut down the deficit until Kandler once again scored another service ace. VCU collected 5 total service aces in the opening set.

After another kill by Baldwin and a Duquesne attacking error, VCU earned a 25-17 win in Set 1 to go ahead 1-0.

A Rather Close 2nd

The Dukes turned things around as Set 2 got underway; Duquesne went ahead 5-1 after collecting 4 straight points including an ace. VCU made their move down 8-4 to win 4 consecutive points to tie things up.

Both teams traded kills and runs during the 2nd set. The Rams went on a 6-0 run thanks to kills by Vicky Giommarini and Tuzzolo along with attacking errors by the visitors. Duquesne answered back with a 4 point run of their own as the set continued with no clear winner.

VCU finished strong with key kills by Jasmin Sneed and Giommarini. Adler smashed home the game-winner as the Black & Gold went up 2-0 after winning Set 2 25-21.

A Sweep & Milestone Celebration

Set 3 was similar to the second with both teams trading points and runs. Tuzzolo kept VCU’s offense firing with 11 kills on the night and Giommarini added 10. Dajah Ard and Tyler Sroufe moved the ball well with 29 total assists.

Errors became a concern for Duquesne later in Set 3. As the Dukes kept racking up attacking errors, VCU musted up enough offense to draw level at 14-14. There was a glimpse of the visitors in control, however, Rebekah Strange dug the Rams back into the match with 10 digs.

Strange solidified the 3-0 sweep of Duquesne with a service ace to give VCU a 25-23 win in Set 3. With this win, VCU’s winning streak extends to 15 consecutive victories.

The Rams improved to 4-0 in Atlantic 10 play and 18-2 overall; head coach Jody Rogers picked up her 500th career win as a coach.

VCU Volleyball returns to Siegel Center on Sunday, October 8th in A-10 action against La Salle. Game time is scheduled for a 1 PM start.

Mark Turner

Mark graduated from VCU in 2014 with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. He started as a fan of the Black & Gold in the stands his freshman year. Mark was known as "Kazie" for his charismatic fandom with the VCU's student organization the Rowdy Rams. While at VCU he gained experience in sports media with WVCW on a sports radio show called Rowdy Radio. Following graduation, Mark continued crafting his social media skills with the Richmond Kickers while also handling VCU coverage. He is a true fan of the Rams and vocally passionate on and off camera. After the final whistle, you can probably find him at local RVA bar or brewery enjoying a drink and conversation.