THE FLATS – Senior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino has been named to the Watch List for the 2024 Division I Player of the Year Award, presented by Nike Volleyball, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced today. Bertolino is one of 36 players across 21 teams selected onto the watch list, the Player of the Year will be announced at the AVCA Convention in Louisville, Ky. on Dec. 20.
Bertolino has earned her way onto the exclusive list as one of the best all-around contributors in Division I. Through eight matches in 2024, the native of San Guillermo-Santa Fe, Argentina is averaging a career-best 3.21 kills/set on .307 hitting, also a career-best, while adding in 3.03 digs/set. Her most dangerous asset is her serve. She leads the ACC with .72 aces/set, the sixth highest average in the country and is the only player in DI to average over three kills/set and digs/set while also making at least .7 aces/set this season.
Her success on the service line has resulted in a convincing case for Bertolino to be the greatest Georgia Tech server of the modern scoring era. At this point, her 137 career aces are 8th-most in program history and her .38 aces/set average sits in fifth. Since the sport transitioned to the 25-point rally scoring model in 2008, only Julia Bergmann (164 (2019-22)) and Monique Mead (148 (2009-12)) have made more aces over their GT careers. Bergmann owns the modern scoring era record for aces/set (.41/set), with Bertolino close behind (.38/set). With 21 matches left on the 2024 slate, Bertolino is on pace to set both modern scoring era records by season’s end.
Bertolino is one of 10 representatives from the ACC on the watch list, the second-most by a single conference. Important to note, the AVCA awards committee can add players not from the original group of 36 to a future watch list that will come out in November.
Georgia Tech, and the continent of South America, has never produced a Collegiate National Player of the Year in women’s volleyball. Bergmann was a finalist for the award back in 2021, as the East Coast Regional Player of the Year, before ultimately yielding to Wisconsin’s Dana Rettke.
UP NEXT
Bertolino and the No. 13-ranked Yellow Jackets look to extend their seven-match win streak tonight for the 45th edition of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. Tech will face Georgia on Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 pm in Athens, Ga. The match will stream live on SECN+.
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