Back Half of Volleyball Conference Slate Begins in Virginia

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech volleyball (10-9, 5-5 ACC) heads back up north for a pair of ACC contests this time against Virginia (10-10, 3-7 ACC) and Virginia Tech (9-12, 1-9 ACC). The Jackets will start the week against the Cavaliers on Friday at 7 p.m. and finish with a Sunday 1 p.m. match against the Hookies.

Storylines

• The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 1-1 week after coming back to beat Cal 3-1 on Friday and falling to No. 5 Stanford on Sunday.
• Sunday’s match against a No. 5 ranked Stanford was Georgia Tech’s eighth ranked match of the season and its second match of the season against a top-five ranked team.
• Georgia Tech’s offense has been vastly comprised by the freshmen trio of Mimi Mambu, Anna Fiedorowicz, and Noemi Despaigne the last few weeks.
• Mambu led the Jackets on offense last week with a combined 27 kills averaging 3.86 kills per set along with five digs and three blocks. Overall, Mambu has recorded a team high 194 kills so far this season averaging 3.03 kills per set.
• Both Fiedorowicz (24) and Despaigne also recorded (20) 20 or more kills with both averaging above 2.86 kills per set.
• Fiedorowicz leads Tech on offense during ACC competitions with 117 kills, averaging 3.34 per set.
• Georgia Tech’s defense is fortified by Sofia Velez who sits fourth in the ACC for digs (278) and the blocking duo of Bianca Garibaldi (88) and DeAndra Pierce (66).
• Velez most recently recorded her 15th game of the season, her fifth consecutive match, with double digit digs. Her 13 digs bring her to 120 games recording 10+ digs out of 129 total collegiate games.
• Garibaldi’s team high 88 blocks rank her not only 10^th in the ACC while her 1.33 blocks per set put her 28^th
• Pierce has been thriving across the board for Georgia Tech as her 66 blocks are accompanied by a team high .412 hitting percentage, good for a third place ACC ranking.
• Junior Heloise Soares remains the Yellow Jackets’ ‘primary setter though freshman Sara Toth has seen a few rotations throughout the season. Soares sits with 641 assists averaging just over nine assists per set (9.03) as well as 152 digs, 33 blocks, and 14 kills.
• As a team, Tech sits top-five in the ACC during conference play in several categories including second for blocks (averaging 3.07 per set), second for assists (averaging 12.97 per set), third for opponent digs (averaging 9.86 per set), fifth for hitting percentage (.259), and fifth for points (averaging 17.87 per set).
• Georgia tech sits with one of the toughest schedules in the nation (13th) and the fifth toughest schedule for an ACC team, just behind No. 5 Stanford. Despite dropping from the rankings earlier this season, the Yellow Jackets continue to receive votes in the AVCA Poll.

Series Notes

• Tech leads in the overall series against Virginia, 42-22 and leads in sets won, 148-84.
• On the road the Jackets hold an 18-15 record with their last loss coming from the 2017 season. The Jackets will look to extend their seven-game win streak against the Cavaliers on Friday.
• Georgia Tech enters Sunday’s match looking for its seventh straight win against Virginia Tech.
• The Jackets lead in the overall series against the Hookies, 21-10 and leads in sets won, 68-41. In Blacksburg, Va. Georgia Tech sits with an 11-6 record.
• While Georgia Tech enters Sunday’s contest on a six-game win streak against Virginia Tech, the Jackets haven’t lost on the road to the Hookies since 2014.

Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.

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