Sept. 7, 2007
ATLANTA – Chrissy DeMichelis recorded a career-high 20 kills and Talisa Kellogg added her second double-double of the season as Georgia Tech (4-1) handed the University of Georgia volleyball team (8-1) its first loss of the season, 3-1 (29-31, 30-24, 30-28, 30-26), Friday night in the fourth match of the Regency Suites/Georgia Tech Classic.
With the win, the Jackets improved to 2-0 in the tournament, while the Bulldogs fell to 1-1. Georgia Tech will play its third tournament match Saturday morning, squaring off against Arizona at 11 a.m. at O’Keefe Gym.
DeMichelis surpassed her previous career high of 17 kills with six kills in the fourth and final game of the match. Kellogg recorded 19 kills and posted 13 digs to go along with her four total blocks and four service aces. Joining DeMichelis and Kellogg in double figures were Ulrike Stegemann and Callie Miller, who posted 10 kills apiece.
Georgia extended its streak to 25-consecutive games won to open the season by fighting off a late Yellow Jacket charge in the opening game to win, 31-29. The Bulldogs hit .405 and posted four total blocks and three service aces while the Jackets managed just a .279 hitting clip in the game. Tech couldn’t contain Georgia’s Maria Taylor, who had 15 of the Bulldogs’ 20 kills in the frame.
The Jackets snapped the Bulldogs’ streak in the second game with a 30-24 victory to tie the match at 1-1. With the score tied at 23-23, Tech went on a 5-0 run with kills by Kellogg and Callie Miller and a trio of errors by the Bulldogs, and then held on for the final six-point game win.
After limiting Taylor to six kills in game two, Tech held the Bulldog junior to three kills and six errors on 20 attempts in the third game, resulting in a 30-28 victory for the Yellow Jackets. After posting just five blocks through the first two games, Tech’s net defense came alive, as six different players posted block assists in the frame.
The Jackets finished with 11 total blocks in the match. Taylor led all players with 33 kills while recording 11 digs and six total blocks against the Jackets.
DeMichelis hit .545 with six kills and no errors on 11 attempts to lead the Jackets in the fourth game, while Kellogg added seven kills and four digs in the frame. Tech hit .391 and had 24 total digs in the final game, including 10 by junior libero Michelle Kandell.
Kandell finished the match with 24 digs.
After Tech’s match against the Wildcats Saturday morning, the Jackets will close out the tournament against Kentucky at 8 p.m.
