Oct. 26, 2011
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Despite coming out to a 1-0 lead, the Georgia Tech volleyball team fell at Middle Tennessee State University in their mid-week match up with the Blue Raiders, 3-1. The Yellow Jackets (12-10) were led by Monique Mead who finished the night with 19 kills and 10 digs recording her eighth double-double of the season.
The Blue Raiders (14-9) earned the edge from Ashley Adams who netted a game high 24 kills on the night.
The Jackets got off on the right foot registering seven team blocks, six of the solo kind. Tech’s quick start forced the Blue Raiders to call two quick timeouts using their last one at a 7-12 deficit. Mead led the way with three solo blocks in the first set also tallying four kills to help Tech garner seven points in the match. MTSU had just two blocks. Kaleigh Colson distributed the ball well as five different Tech athletes netted at least two kills during the 25-17 victory.
The second set had more back-and-forth action until MTSU took off. The Blue Raiders jumped out to a 13-10 and 16-12 lead before the serving of Mead got Tech into the game 15-16. The rally wasn’t enough though as MTSU extended its lead back to four and then later to six before falling 25-18 in set two. Mead added four more kills and block in the set while Alexis Woodson did the same. Adams led the way for the Blue Raiders with five kills.
MTSU kept its momentum going into the third set jumping out to an early 6-2 lead. Tech rallied to close the lead to 9-10 and was on its way to tying up the game behind the serving and defense of Nicki Meyer when the Jackets were called for a suspicious net violation that killed the momentum that they had going. MTSU used the opportunity to boost their lead to 17-9 and never looked back earning the 25-15 victory. MTSU’s Adams piled on eight kills during the set while Mead netted seven of her own.
Set four saw MTSU jump out to a lead, and Tech erase that lead, right down to the final point. The blocking that was very present in set one, and missing in sets two and three, returned near the end of set four as Tech mounted a comeback. But the damage was done and MTSU earned the 25-22 victory and the win.
The Jackets will now return home to the confines of O’Keefe Gymnasium for a weekend series with Wake Forest and Duke. Tech will take on Wake Forest in a Friday night match up at 7 p.m. and will face the Blue Devils on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. for a game that will be televised on ESPN3.com.
Video will be available through Georgia Tech All-Access live and on-demand for Friday night’s game. Both matches will also be broadcast on WREK, 91.1 FM in Atlanta and online at RamblinWreck.com.
