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Best of 2021: Elite! No. 8 Jackets Blow by No. 9 Buckeyes

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Over the final days of 2021, ramblinwreck.com is revisiting the top moments of the year for each Georgia Tech team. Below is a look back at the Yellow Jackets’ sweep of No. 9 seed Ohio State in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

Box Score Season Stats NCAA Tournament Bracket

LOUISVILLE, Ky. โ€“ No. 8 seed Georgia Tech volleyball blitzed No. 9 Seed Ohio State (25-22, 26-24, 25-21) for its third consecutive sweep of NCAA tournament play to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2003 and the second time in program history on Dec. 9 in Louisville, Ky. The flawless run through the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament marks the first time the Yellow Jackets have avoided dropping a set on the way to the Elite Eight. Tech now owns 16 sweeps this season and is 13-10 all time in NCAA tournament matches.

Georgia Tech (26-5, 14-4 ACC) outmatched Ohio State (27-6, 15-5 B1G) in most major statistical categories, leading the way in kills (50-36), hitting percentage (.236-.142), assists (46-35) and digs (55-41).

Senior right-side hitter Mariana Brambilla was everywhere the Buckeyes turned as she led the match with both 18 kills at a gaudy .444 clip and 18 digs for her 11th double double this season. Senior setter Matti McKissock pulled the strings behind the Tech attack once again, tallying 42 assists.

As a unit, Georgia Tech moved into ninth in program history in kills within a season, tallying a staggering 1,645 kills this year. The Yellow Jackets move on to the Elite Eight having won 58 of their last 69 matches dating back to 2019.

How it Happened

In an otherwise tightly contested first set, Georgia Tech used a pair of runs to take the advantage. The Jackets first took six consecutive points early out to a 6-2 lead. The Buckeyes battled back incrementally to even things up and later take the lead at 17-15, but Tech responded with a five-point flurry to jump back in front, 20-17. The White and Gold would match each Ohio State blow from there, going on to take the first set, 25-22.

The Buckeyes went on an early run to get in front in the second set, slipping ahead, 10-6. Tech would answer by taking five of the next six points, evening the tally at 11 all. Four tie score lines later, Ohio State would claim three straight points to inch in front, 21-18. Georgia Tech retaliated with three points of its own shortly after to knot things up at 22 apiece, but the Buckeyes took two of the next three points for a set point opportunity at 24-23. The White and Gold refused to let the streak of sweeps go by wayside though, snatching three consecutive points once more to devastate Ohio State for a 26-24 set two win behind senior middle blocker Breland Morrissetteโ€™s solo block.

With momentum on its side, Tech kept rolling into the third set, going on an early, six-point run out to a 9-3 lead. The Buckeyes would hang tough and draw as near as within two points at a 12-10 Jacket advantage, but a final three-point burst from the White and Gold put the match out of reach for a 23-17 Tech lead. Morrissette would finish off the set once again, this time with a kill, to clinch a 25-21 third set win and third consecutive NCAA tournament sweep, punching Georgia Techโ€™s ticket to the Elite Eight.

The Jackets concluded their season to follow in the regional final round, falling to then undefeated, No. 1 seed Louisville in four sets.

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