Five Set Thriller Sees Tech Emerge Victorious

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. – Georgia Tech volleyball (11-9, 6-5 ACC) began the trip back up north with a 3-2 win over Virginia (10-11, 3-8 ACC) on Friday night.

QUICK HITS

• Noemi Despaigne led Tech’s offense with a near career-high 19 kills. The freshman was just one kill shy of tying her current career high of 20 kills set earlier this season against Ole Miss.
• Her 48 attacks were not only a career high but also the third most for a Jacket this season.
• Despaigne has seen double-digit kills in Tech’s last five contests for a combined 62 kills.
• With 12 put downs on Friday, DeAndra Pierce tied her career high for kills (12) with her performance against North Carolina during the 2024 season.
• Bianca Garibaldi was a stunner on defense as she tied the modern scoring era record for solo blocks in a single match with a career high four solo blocks. The record hasn’t been touched since Kodie Comby recorded four solo blocks against Coastal Carolina in 2016.
• Sofia Velez recorded her 16th game of the season, her sixth consecutive match, with double digit digs. Her 16 digs bring her to 121 games recording 10+ digs out of 130 total collegiate games.
• Freshman Abi Li recorded a career high one assist and two aces as well as tied her career high for digs for the second time during her third career match.
• Heloise Soares saw both her most assists of the season (48) and her most attempts of the season (129), bringing her to 689 total assists this season.
• Against the Cavaliers, the Yellow Jackets recorded their second most kills (63), second most assists (58), third most attempts (153), and tied their season high for aces (9) for the third time.
• Friday’s five-set thriller was Tech’s third five-set match of the season with the others being against Bowling Green and Georgia.

SET BY SET

Set 1 (GT 26 – UVA 24)

• Set one was the closest of the match by far as there were seven lead changes and the score was tied 17 times. Tech saw its best attack percentage (.333%) and its most kills (18) of the match during set one as did Virginia with a .353% attack percentage and 15 kills, but it would be the Jackets that came out on top. After trading points throughout set one, UVA reached set point off a Tech service error but the Jackets responded with three straight kills for the set one win. Despaigne led Tech’s offense with five kills on nine swings while Pierce recorded four kills with a .571 attack percentage. Fiedorowicz (3), Garibaldi (2), Soares (2), and Mimi Mambu (2) all saw a multi-kill set one as well. Soares was responsible for 13 of Tech’s 17 set one assists. Garibaldi, Li, and Laura Bieleski notched one service ace apiece.

Set 2 (GT 25 – UVA 23)

• Tech continued to out perform Virginia on offense with 16 kills in set two, compared to the Cavaliers’ 13. After trading points to begin set two, Tech pieced together a four-point run to take the 11-9 set two lead. Virginia was able to quickly respond with a six-point run of their own to force the Jackets to trail, 15-11. Tech battled back and was able to go on to outscore Virginia 9-3 to not only reclaim the lead but ultimately take the set two win. Despaigne once again couldn’t be managed by the Cavaliers’ defense as she recorded a team-high six kills in set two. Soares tacked on another 11 assists during set two while Velez added another four digs to her now eight dig total. Garibaldi notched her second solo block of the game as well as shared one block with Despaigne.

Set 3 (GT  14 – UVA 25)

• The Jackets struggled on offense in set three as well as had a hard time managing the Cavaliers’ .429 attack percentage. Virginia took an early lead over Tech but pushed the set three win out of reach with a seven-point run to make the set 21-9. Despite having more attack attempts than Virginia (27-21), five Cavalier blocks and seven Yellow Jacket attack errors ultimately gave set three to UVA. Pierce, Mambu, Despaigne, and Fiedorowicz all recorded two kills apiece. Soares tallied another seven assists while Velez had another two digs and Garibaldi saw yet another solo block.

Set 4 (GT  20 – UVA 25)

• Set four saw Tech improve in kills but continue to struggle with errors while Virginia was able to maintain a higher attack percentage and record more blocks to go on to take set four. Virginia outscored Tech early on and established a seven-point gap from the Jackets which it carried through most of the fourth set. After battling back and tying the set, 20-20, the Cavaliers recorded the final five points to take set four. Despaigne was right back into it on offense with six kills in set four as was Soares with 11 assists. Velez’s four digs in set four were supported by three from both Despaigne and Soares, and bested only by Bieleski’s six.

Set 5 (GT  15 – UVA 5)

• In the fifth and final set, Tech held Virginia to only two kills and a -.250 attack percentage. The Jackets got the jump on the Cavaliers with an early four-point run (5-1). Virginia brought the match within two points before Tech stacked another five points, extending its lead to seven points (10-3). Tech went on to outscore Virginia 5-2 and take the match win. Fiedorowicz saw five final kills in set five. Soares boasted a .500 assist percentage with five assists. Soares, Li, and Bieleski recorded one ace apiece.

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets will finish the week against Virginia Tech on Sunday, Nov. 2. The match is set to be streamed on ACCNX.

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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