Sept. 17, 2003
Tech Opens 2003 Campaign with 8 Wins
The Yellow Jackets have opened the season with 8 victories and are off to the best start in school history since 1996 when Tech began the year 16-0.
Tech has started this year with 3 wins in the Courtyard by Marriott Classic, sweeping Northwestern, Coastal Carolina and Alabama in route to its fifth Courtyard by Marriott Classic title. The second week of the season, the Jackets defeated Temple and Western Michigan to claim the Buckeye Classic. Last weekend, the Jackets had the most successful tournament in the program’s history as Tech defeated then No. 17 Michigan State, No. 13 Santa Clara and No. 5 Nebraska to claim the US Bank/Arby’s Invitational.
This is only the second year in program history that the Yellow Jackets have begun the season at 8-0. In 1996, the team started the year with a 16-0 mark before falling to Auburn.
Next up for the Jackets…..Georgia Tech Invitational
After nearly two weeks on the road and a win over then fifth-ranked Nebraska, the No. 5 Georgia Tech volleyball team returns to action in the cozy confines of O’Keefe Gymnasium to host the Georgia Tech Invitational. The Yellow Jackets will face No. 24 Friday at 7:30 p.m., Western Carolina on Saturday at 10 a.m., and South Florida at 5 p.m. Saturday evening.
Time Changes for the Georgia Tech Invitational
Due to the Georgia Tech/Clemson football game on Saturday, the schedule for the matches on Saturday in the Georgia Tech Invitational have been changed to accommodate fans. Listed below is the entire schedule for the Georgia Tech Invitational:
Friday, Sept. 19 5 p.m. South Florida vs. Western Carolina 7:30 p.m. #24 Wisconsin vs. #5 Georgia Tech Saturday, Sept. 20 10 a.m. Western Carolina vs. #5 Georgia Tech 12 p.m. South Florida vs. #24 Wisconsin 2 p.m. #24 Wisconsin vs. Western Carolina 5 p.m. South Florida vs. #5 Georgia Tech
For Saturday’s portion of the tournament only, admission to matches is free.
Win 2 Nights at the Courtyard by Marriott!
Fans attending the Jackets’ match on Friday against nationally-ranked Wisconsin will have the opportunity to win a two-night stay at the Courtyard by Marriott in Midtown. Fans may register as they enter the match for the drawing and one lucky person will walk away with free lodging. Drawing will be held between games two and three.
Tech on Fox Sports Net South
Friday’s match against No. 24 Wisconsin will be televised regionally on a tape delay basis on Fox Sports Net South. Justin Cazana calls the play-by-play while Phil Bush provides analysis in a match will be replayed on Sunday, Sept. 28h at 2 p.m.
Eveland Named National Player of the Week
Kele Eveland, a 5-11 senior setter for fifth-ranked Georgia Tech (8-0), has been chosen the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week. Eveland helped the Yellow Jackets to wins over three nationally ranked opponents en route to the championship of the US Bank/Arby’s Invitational. The weekend included an upset of then-fifth-ranked Nebraska, handing the Huskers their first regular season loss at home since 1999.
Eveland posted 65 assists, 11 digs and four blocks in the five-game win. Eveland collected double-doubles in the first two matches of the tourney, sweeps of 15th-ranked Michigan State (46 assists, 10 digs) and then-13th-ranked Santa Clara (47 assists, 11 digs), averaging 14.36 assists and 2.91 digs in 11 games. Eveland is currently leading the nation in assists per game (14.50) and runs an offense which tops the statistics in hitting percentage, assists per game and kills per game.
Eveland joins standouts Kerry Annel (1992-95), Cris Omiecinski (1992-95), Rochelle Komula (1994-97) and current teammate Lynnette Moster as the only players in Georgia Tech history to be honored as the national player fo the week.
School Record for Consecutive Games Won
Early into the season, this year’s team has already set a school record. By winning the first two games against Nebraska on 9/14, the Yellow Jackets established a new record for consecutive games won. Tech won 23 straight games before dropping the third game to the Cornhuskers. During the 1992 season, the team had won 21 straight from Sept. 12-Sept. 20, before dropping a game to Auburn on Sept. 23.
Jackets Jump Five Spots
In the 2003 USA Today/AVCA poll for Sept. 15, the Yellow Jackets moved up five spots to No. 5, representing the highest ranking in school history and the highest ranking achieved by any school in the ACC.
Dating back to last season, this marks the 17th consecutive week that Tech has been ranked in the Top 25 in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll. For a complete listing of this week’s poll, fans may visit www.avca.org.
In the Volleyball Magazine Top 20 poll, the Jackets are ranked 7th.
Biggest Win In School History
The match on Sept. 14 against then-No. 5 Nebraska will certainly be one for fans to remember and set several school records in the process. * It was the highest ranked team the Jackets had defeated. The previous best was a 3-2 win over No. 8 Notre Dame in 1995. * It was only the second time in school history that Tech had defeated a ranked opponent on the road. In 1995, the Jackets defeated Colorado 3-2 in the Powerbar Invitational in Boulder, Colo.
Against Ranked Teams
When facing nationally-ranked opponents, the Yellow Jackets hold just a 10-36 record, or .217 percentage. However, under Coach Shymansky, Tech has posted a 6-4 record, or .600 percentage including a 3-0 record this season.
All-Tournament Honors
Five Georgia Tech have earned all-Tournament honors this season. They are:
Kele Eveland US Bank/Arby's Invitational (MVP) Courtyard by Marriott Classic Lynnette Moster Courtyard by Marriott Classic Buckeye Classic US Bank/Arby's Invitational Alexandra Preiss Courtyard by Marriott Classic (MVP) Jayme Gergen Buckeye Classic (MVP) Lauren Sauer Buckeye Classic US Bank/Arby's Invitational
Around the ACC
(Standings through 9/15)TEAM ACC PCT OVERALL PCTGeorgia Tech 0-0 .000 8-0 1.000Virginia 0-0 .000 12-0 1.000Wake Forest 0-0 .000 7-1 .800Maryland 0-0 .000 8-2 .667North Carolina 0-0 .000 6-2 .667Florida State 0-0 .000 5-4 .600Clemson 0-0 .000 6-5 .571NC State 0-0 .000 5-5 .500Duke 0-0 .000 4-5 .286
TEAM (through 9/16) Hitting Pct. Georgia Tech .367 Kills Georgia Tech 18.12 Assists Georgia Tech 16.88 Blocks Duke 3.18 Aces Wake Forest 2.80 Digs Duke 20.00
INDIVIDUAL (through 9/16) Hitting Pct. Lauren Sauer, Georgia Tech .431 Kills Lynnette Moster, Georgia Tech 4.81 Assists Kele Eveland, Georgia Tech 14.50 Blocks Krista Dill, Duke 1.71 Aces Valerie Rydberg, Wake Forest 0.75 Digs Whitney Ashcraft, Virginia 5.50
