Sept. 29, 2017
THE FLATS – Despite besting the Wolfpack in hitting percentage and blocks, Georgia Tech volleyball (6-8, 1-2 ACC) dropped to North Carolina State (8-6, 3-0 ACC) 3-1 on Friday night at O’Keefe Gymnasium. The Jackets return to O’Keefe on Sunday, Oct. 1 to face North Carolina at 3 p.m.
Head coach Michelle Collier says:
“We definitely played at a higher level than last weekend but we need to be better in the small details in order to come out on top in those close sets.”
How it happened:
In a close bout featuring 11 tie scores and six lead changes, the Jackets dropped the first set to a score of 25-23. The two teams came out battling, tying all the way to 10-10 before the Wolfpack edged ahead. Never trailing by more than three, the Jackets used a 5-0 run to take the lead off a block from seniors Sydney Wilson and Ashley Askin at 21-20. The Wolfpack took two in a row to regain the advantage and held it to finish out the set.
Tech trailed for the first part of the set before taking three in a row, two off the swing of sophomore Kodie Comby, to take the lead at 13-12. The two teams traded points to a tie at 23-23 before the Wolfpack stole two in a row to seal the set at 25-23 and the 2-0 advantage.
The third started with more back and forth. The turning point for Tech came from a block off the hands of Wilson and junior Lauren Frerking, sparking a 4-0 run for the Jackets to take the lead at 17-13 as NC State called a timeout. From then on, the set belonged to the White and Gold and the Jackets put away the set at 25-18. Tech hit at .500 clip for the set.
The fourth set belonged to the Wolfpack from the jump. Taking over the lead at 4-3, NC State held on for the set. Despite late attempts from the Jackets to comeback, the set remained out of reach and NC State took the match with a 25-20 win of the fourth.
Up next:
Tech closes out the weekend at home on Sunday, Oct. 1 against North Carolina at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
Quick Hits:
– Senior Ashley Askin posted her second double-double of the season (13 kills, 13 digs)
– Freshman Grace Rigsbee tied her career high in blocks with five.
– Sophomore Kodie Comby hit at a season-high clip of .429.
– Junior middle blocker Lauren Frerking posted a career-high kills of four.
– Senior Gabriela Stavnetchei is three kills shy of 200 this season (197 kills).
– Stavnetchei tallied her 600th career kill.
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