GREENSBORO, N.C. – No. 5 seed Georgia Tech volleyball (20-7, 13-5 ACC) received five All-ACC selections as voted on by the league’s head coaches, the conference office announced on Monday. Senior outside hitter Julia Bergmann and graduate middle blocker Breland Morrissette fronted the group, each being recognized as First Team All-ACC honorees, while senior middle blocker Erin Moss, junior setter Bella D’Amico and sophomore outside hitter Bianca Bertolino each earned Second Team All-ACC honors.
Bergmann bolsters her decorated career by earning her sixth yearly ACC honor, picking up her third consecutive First Team All-ACC honor on top of last season’s ACC Player of the Year crown as well as ACC Freshman of the Year and ACC All-Freshman awards during her first season on The Flats. The vaunted outside hitter has already racked up a multitude of weekly awards this season, including a GameChanger Division I National Player of the Week from the AVCA for the second time in her career on top of four ACC Player of the Week recognitions to match her season total a year ago. Bergmann continues to make waves in Tech’s record books as she’s up to sixth in program history in career kills (1,708), tied for ninth all time in single season kills (515) and is fifth on The Flats in career aces (162). Now one of five Yellow Jacket members of the 1,500 kill/1,000 dig club, the “Ger-zilian” also tied the program record in single-match kills with 38 in a reverse sweep of Florida State this season and is only Yellow Jacket with four matches of 30 or more kills in a career. Bergmann continues to lead the ACC by a wide margin on the attack, ranking ninth in the NCAA in kills (515) and 10th in points (577.5) while placing third in the nation in both kills per set (5.31) and points per set (5.95).
Morrissette continues to progress year after year, earning First Team All-ACC honors for the first time in her career. The Birmingham, Ala., native now owns two yearly ACC honors after being recognized as Second Team All-ACC a season ago. The staunch middle blocker has capitalized on her super senior season by leading the league and placing seventh in the nation in hitting percentage at a .434 clip. Owning over a block per set, Morrissette has now achieved 100 blocks in a season in back-to-back years. Leading the team in both hitting percentage and total blocks (101), Morrissette’s season has been highlighted by an Ole Miss Invitational all-tournament team bid and a career performance against No. 7 Pitt in which she obliterated her previous career high of 11 kills with 20 at a staggering .581 clip on top of two aces. Morrissette not only shined offensively in that match, but had a career night on defense, racking up a personal-best nine blocks (three solo, six assisted).
One of the most explosive Yellow Jackets on the squad, Moss receives a Second Team All-ACC spot, marking her first career All-ACC recognition. The Valdosta, Ga., native contributes on both sides of the net as she’s second on the team in kills (207), hitting percentage (.336) and total blocks (101), joining Morrissette in eclipsing the century mark. On her own, Moss has stood her ground defensively more than any other Yellow Jacket, leading the unit with 19 solo blocks. Averaging over a block per set, Moss’ hitting percentage is also good for fifth in the ACC. The senior also closed out the regular season on a high note, matching her career high of 14 kills in a sweep of Florida State after setting her career high of nine total blocks in a sweep of Boston College earlier this year.
Orchestrating one of the most potent offenses in the country all season, junior setter Bella D’Amico was selected as Second Team All-ACC for her first career All-ACC honor. The new center of the Jacket attack settled into her role quickly, going on to rank fourth in the conference in assists per set (10.20) and total assists (989) as she approaches 1,000 single-season assists for the first time in her career. On top of running the point, D’Amico has contributed across the board, also totaling 176 digs, 38 total blocks, 20 kills and 13 aces. In one of the biggest matches of her career, D’Amico also recently shattered a pair of her previous career bests, piling up 61 assists and compiling six blocks at No. 7 Pitt.
Bertolino follows her stellar freshman season with yet another All-ACC recognition as her Second Team All-ACC honor follows an ACC All-Freshman Team selection a season ago. The steady presence has contributed across the board with her balanced style of play, making good on her preseason All-ACC selection by ranking second on the squad in digs with 336 on top of posting 187 kills, 27 aces and 34 total blocks. The Argentinian was named to the GT Invitational All-Tournament Team early in the season and has since set and tied her career high of 24 digs in premier matchups, once against No. 5 Louisville and again facing No. 7 Pitt.
Up Next
Georgia Tech readies for NCAA Tournament competition, heading to No. 4 seed Marquette (27-3, 17-1 Big East) to take on Wright State (28-3, 18-0 Horizon League) on Thursday at 5 p.m. to begin the First Round at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, Wisc. All preliminary site match times can be found here.
Competitive Drive Initiative
In a unified endeavor, Georgia Tech, the Georgia Tech Foundation, Georgia Tech athletics and the Alexander-Tharpe Fund have come together to accelerate funding for student-athlete scholarships with the launch of the Competitive Drive Initiative. The initiative kicks off with the Accelerate GT Match Program, where any new gift to the A-T Fund’s Athletic Scholarship Fund made through Dec. 31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Georgia Tech Foundation, up to $2.5 million. Should Accelerate GT reach its $2.5 million fundraising goal, the matching gift would result in a $5 million impact for Georgia Tech athletics. To learn more and to contribute online, visit atfund.org/accelerate.
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