Boston College handled Virginia in four sets Sunday afternoon at the Connell Recreation Center, coming away with a 25-19, 25-12, 23-25, 25-18 win.
Audrey Ross paced the Eagles with a double-double, finishing with 21 kills - tied for the match high - on a .289 hitting percentage and 10 digs. Sam Hoppes added 14 kills on .370 hitting, Isabelle Poehlein chipped in nine kills, and Reese Dunkle was efficient with eight kills on a .571 clip plus three blocks.
In the back row, Brooklyn Yelland led the way with 17 digs and 11 assists. Lucy Mott handed out 23 assists, served up two aces, and added six digs, while Lucie Vesela contributed 17 assists and nine digs as the two split setting duties.
The Eagles set the tone right away in the first frame. After a Ross service ace pushed Boston College to a 7-3 lead, Mott sparked a 5-0 run from the line that included another ace and a block by Naomi Watson and Poehlein. Virginia cut into the margin and got within 20-13, but a Tiani Shaw ace and a late Poehlein kill helped Boston College stay in front before taking the set 25-19.
Set two turned into a rout. Boston College opened on a 6-1 burst highlighted by a Yelland ace, then rode Vesela’s serve through an 8-0 run that featured kills from Hoppes and Ross and stretched the lead to 17-5. Ross and Dunkle handled the late points, and Ross finished the set with a kill as the Eagles rolled 25-12 to move ahead 2-0.
Virginia finally found some traction in the third set, which featured seven ties and three lead changes. Boston College built an 18-13 advantage after a 3-0 spurt with kills from Hoppes and Ross and a Shaw ace, but the Cavaliers answered with an 8-1 run to go up 21-19. Poehlein and Ross brought the Eagles level again late, but Virginia won the next key point and closed the set 25-23 to extend the match.
Boston College regrouped quickly in the fourth. Back-to-back kills from Hoppes and Dunkle helped the Eagles jump to an 8-4 lead, and a Dunkle-Ross block pushed the margin to 18-12. Virginia got within three at 21-18, but Boston College finished with a 4-0 run, capped by a Watson kill, to close out the 25-18 set and secure the match.
Boston College now heads back on the road for two ACC matches against Carolina programs, starting with Duke on Friday, October 30, at 6:30 p.m. before traveling to UNC on Sunday, November 1, at 2:00 p.m.
In Other News...
Armoni Zeigler Gave Boston College Its First Real Highlight Moment
For a Boston College team that spent most of the night separating itself from MIT on the scoreboard, Armoni Zeigler supplied the kind of play that can stick with a crowd long after the final horn. The senior guard came off the bench for 23 minutes and finished with eight points in the Eagles 90-46 win, but the real jolt came on a steal that turned into a clean path to the basket and a one-handed finish that gave the game its first real burst of energy.
Zeigler has seen enough college basketball to know a single highlight does not change the shape of a night, yet it can still matter in the flow of a game like this. For Boston College, the play was a reminder that even in a lopsided win, the bench can provide the kind of spark that gets attention, and Zeigler was the one who delivered it. [Read more 🡒]
Boston Colleges Georgia Tech Breakout Put Three Young Eagles In Focus
Boston Colleges 49-27 win over Georgia Tech did more than get the Eagles back on track in the ACC. It also put three young players in the conference spotlight, with Bo MacCormack III earning running back of the week honors, Charlie Comella taking defensive back of the week, and Veguer Jean-Jumeau recognized for his work up front.
MacCormack turned in a breakout with 155 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Comellas two interceptions gave the defense the kind of momentum-changing plays that can swing a game in a hurry. Jean-Jumeaus week was built less on highlight-reel moments than on steady impact along the offensive line, which helped Boston College move to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the league and gave the program a glimpse of how much young talent is starting to surface. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Just Got A Duke Week Boost Fans Will Love
Boston Colleges trip to Georgia Tech turned into more than just a conference win, with three Eagles earning ACC weekly honors for key roles in the 49-27 victory. Cornerback Charlie Comella was named Defensive Back of the Week after finishing with five tackles and two interceptions, while offensive lineman Veguer Jean-Jumeau picked up Offensive Lineman of the Week recognition for helping fuel a dominant ground game.
Bo MacCormack III added to the haul by earning Running Back of the Week, a nod that reflects how much Boston College leaned on its run game to take control. The timing matters, too, with Duke up next and the Eagles carrying some real momentum into a matchup where confidence and physicality tend to travel well. [Read more 🡒]