THE FLATS – Georgia Tech volleyball (11-6, 0-4 ACC) came up short against Notre Dame (9-5, 3-1) on Sunday afternoon, falling 3-2 in O’Keefe Gymnasium.
Georgia Tech 2, Notre Dame 3
The match started out close, both teams battling back and forth, trading the lead. Notre Dame took an edge at 13-11 but three-straight kills from freshman Mikaila Dowd put Tech back on top at 14-13. Tech extended its run to 5-0 with senior Lauren Frerking at the service line to lead 16-13. The Jackets moved the score to 19-16 on a solo block from junior Kodie Comby and Notre Dame called its first timeout of the set. The Fighting Irish took the next to point to come within one at 19-18 and Tech took a timeout. Notre Dame took over the lead at 20-19 but the Jackets kept at it, tying the set at 22-22. The teams traded points to a tie at 26-26 but the Fighting Irish managed to get two in a row to take the first set at 28-26. Freshman Mariana Brambilla led the Jackets on the attack with six kills and Comby tallied four blocks in the first set.
The second set was another close contest. The score tied at 5-5 on a kill from Dowd, the Fighting Irish made a 4-0 run to lead 9-5. Back-to-back-to-back attack errors by Notre Dame put Tech within one and a service ace from redshirt junior Coral Kazaroff tied the set back up at 9-9. The Jackets made a 4-0 run to lead 17-14. A kill from sophomore Dominique Washington moved the score to 19-15 in favor of the White and Gold and Notre Dame called the first timeout of the set. Notre Dame fought its way back into the set tying it at 22-22. Battling to a tie at 25-25, Notre Dame took the second set at 27-25.
Notre Dame brought the momentum into the third set, taking a five-point lead at 12-7. The Jackets fought back with kills from freshman Kayla Kaiser and Dowd but Notre Dame kept at it, leading 15-11 at the media timeout. The Jackets used a 6-1 run to tie the set at 17-17 and took the lead at 19-18 on an attack error. The Jackets held onto the lead this time, closing out the set at 25-21 on a kill from sophomore Grace Rigsbee.
The Jackets carried that energy into the third, holding off the Fighting Irish to lead 16-10 on back-to-back blocks from Kaiser and Rigsbee. Tech led by as many as eight at 21-13 on a kill from Rigsbee, tying her career-high with the kill. Notre Dame didn’t make it easy, bringing the tally back within four at 22-18, inciting the Jackets to call timeout. The Jackets took set point at 24-20 on a kill from Washington and Brambilla’s 15th kill of the match forced a fifth set, taking the fourth for Tech at 25-22.
Notre Dame bounced back in the fifth, taking an early lead at 6-3 and Tech used a timeout. Washington landed a kill to keep the Jackets in it. Back-to-back kills from Dowd brought Tech within one at 8-7 and the Fighting Irish called a timeout. Notre Dame pushed back ahead and this time Tech wasn’t able to close the gap and fell 15-12 in the fifth.
Up next:
The Jackets have a quick turnaround, hosting Clemson on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at O’Keefe Gymnasium. First serve is set for 7 p.m. on Regional Sports Network.
Tech tidbits:
- Brambilla posted her 12th double-double of the season with 15 digs and 16 kills.
- Freshman Matti McKissock recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 34 assists and 10 digs.
- McKissock’s 34 assists are a career-high for the freshman.
- Dowd also finished with a double-double, her fourth, with 19 kills and 11 digs.
- Lexi Dorn also had a double-double with 21 assists and 10 digs.
- Dominique Washington recorded a career-high 14 kills.
- Grace Rigsbee tied her career-high in kills with 10.
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