Nov. 3, 2005
The Georgia Tech volleyball team (13-9, 9-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) hosts two ACC matches this weekend in O’Keefe Gymnasium. The Jackets will face Miami (11-10, 6-7 ACC) Friday at 7 p.m. followed by a match against Florida State (6-15, 4-9 ACC) Saturday at 7 p.m. Tech enters the weekend tied for third in the ACC standings with Duke and percentage points behind Virginia.
Both matches on the weekend will be broadcast at 91.1 FM and over the internet at www.wrek.org while fans may also follow livestats at www.ramblinwreck.com.
On Friday, the Jackets will host the Hurricanes for just the third meeting between the two schools. Earlier this year, the Jackets earned a come-from-behind victory in Coral Gables, managing to fight off three match points, and now leads the series, 2-0.
“Miami will be a tough match for us this weekend,” said head coach Bond Shymansky. “We managed to eek out a win on the road at their place a month ago but we know they are improved team with a changed lineup. We are going to have to play a sharper brand of volleyball to handle their size and power.”
Saturday’s match marks the 30th time that the Jackets have faced the Seminoles, with Tech holding the series’ edge 23-6. Tech took the meeting earlier this season in Tallahassee and has not lost to the Seminoles since the 2001 season.
“Florida State was another very close five-game victory on the road for us earlier this season but we need to know as a team that we must work harder and really focus on playing with better ball control and serving more aggressive and being more consistent in terms of our emotional output,” said Shymansky. “They are getting good results from their outside hitters and their team is always scrappy and aggressive, which poses a problem against any team they face.”
“We’ve had a great week of practice and as a young team it’s tough for us sometimes because the lows of the season feel real low but there’s also a short memory span so they aren’t holding onto losses like some older teams might,” said Shymansky. “Our team has bounced back quickly and has had a great week of practice so we are hoping that momentum and excitement and enthusiasm for the game continues through to the weekend.”
