Sept. 26, 2014
DURHAM, N.C. – The Georgia Tech volleyball team (7-7, 0-1 ACC) fell at Duke (9-3, 1-0 ACC) in four sets, 3-1 (25-21, 15-25, 20-25, 12-25), Friday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium in both teams’ ACC opener.
Teegan Van Gunst tallied 18 kills to lead Georgia Tech, while Courtney Felinski and Annika Van Gunst chipped in nine kills apiece. Annika Olsen anchored the back row and tied her career-high with 19 digs. Duke used a balanced offense with four players in double-digit kills as the Blue Devils out-hit Tech .340 to .188.
“Our offense worked really hard in the first set and we knew Duke was going to dig a lot of balls,” head coach Michelle Collier said. “Duke adjusted to our hitting and we didn’t perform offensively the way we needed to in order to stay in the game.
“I think we side out well and we got little touches on defense, but Duke’s defensive and offensive game took it to another level and we weren’t able to match it.”
Duke took an early lead in the opening frame, leading by as many as four points, 13-9. The Yellow Jackets went to work and fought back to tie the set 15-15 sparked by five of Teegan Van Gunst’s seven kills in that stretch.
Tech took the lead for good at 20-19 thanks to a block by Annika Van Gunst and Lauren Pitz. An ace from Annika Van Gunst clinched the set, 25-21.
Duke jumped out to an early 10-3 lead in the second set. Tech rallied to close the gap, 7-11, but the momentum was all Duke as the Blue Devils rattled off five straight for a 17-8 lead and a 25-15 victory.
Trailing in set three 18-15, Tech won five of the next six points capped by Teegan Van Gunst’s 14th kill of the match to take a 20-19 lead and force a Duke timeout. The Blue Devils came out of the timeout and won the next five points to take the set 25-20.
The Yellow Jackets got behind early in set four and couldn’t rally back into the game. Duke held Tech to a .226 hitting clip, while swinging at .621 and winning the set, 25-12.
The Jackets are back in action at Louisville on Sunday at 2 p.m. Sunday’s match marks the first ACC meeting between Georgia Tech and Louisville in any sport.
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