PITTSBURGH, Pa. – With three double-doubles and a 24-kill effort from freshman Julia Bergmann, Georgia Tech volleyball (16-8, 9-4 ACC) became just the third team to take two sets from No. 2 Pittsburgh (24-1, 13-0 ACC) this season, taking the Panthers to five on Friday night before falling 3-2. Tech’s eight-match winning streak came to an end.
.@collmich gets on the 🎤 after tonight’s match. pic.twitter.com/dMlUetycgC
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) November 9, 2019
How it happened:
The Panthers took the early lead in the first set but four kills from senior Kodie Comby kept the Jackets in it, trailing 15-12 at the media timeout. Pitt stayed ahead but Tech remained within striking distance, calling a timeout as the Panthers made it 21-16. The Jackets only recorded one more point before Pitt took the first set at 25-17.
The White and Gold bounced back in the second, storming to a 12-5 lead on a kill from sophomore Mikaila Dowd and Pittsburgh called for a timeout. The Panthers brought the score within four and Tech called for a timeout with the 14-10 lead. The Jackets moved the score back out to 17-11 on a block from Dowd and Pitt used up its second timeout. Tech stayed ahead, reaching set point at 24-17 on a kill from Bergmann. The Panthers added one more to their total before Bergmann took the set for the Jackets at 25-18 to even the score at 1-1.
Tech carried the momentum into the third, grabbing an early lead at 9-6 on a block from sophomore Matti McKissock and Comby. The Panthers came back to knot the set at 9-9 but the Jackets pushed back out to lead 17-13 on back-to-back kills from Bergmann and an attack error by the Panthers who in turn called a timeout. A kill from Dowd pushed the lead to five but Pitt came back within two at 18-16 and the Jackets called a timeout. The Panthers tied it up at 19-19 before moving ahead by one and Tech called a timeout trailing 20-19. The Jackets put up one more point at 21-20 on a kill from Bergmann but the Panthers stayed ahead to take the set at 25-20 and lead 2-1.
The fourth set was another close one. Tech took a short lead at 7-5 on a kill from Comby but Pitt knotted it at 8-8. The Jackets went ahead again but once again the Panthers came back to tie it and take a one-point edge. Tech knotted the score at 14-14 on a kill from sophomore Mariana Brambilla before the Panthers notched another point to force the media timeout at 15-14. The teams traded points to a tie at 19-19 before the Panthers snuck ahead by two and Tech called timeout trailing 21-19. The Jackets knotted the score at 22-22 on an attack error before using a block from Comby and Dowd to lead 23-22 and Pitt called timeout. Tech reached set point at 24-22 on an attack error and the Panthers used their second timeout. Pitt put up one more point but Comby put down a kill for the Jackets for the 25-23 victory to force a decisive fifth set. The Jackets are the only ACC team to take two sets from Pittsburgh this season.
The Panthers took the early lead in the fifth and Tech called a timeout trailing 7-4. The Jackets brought it back within on back-to-back kills from Dowd to make it 7-6. Comby tied the set at 8-8 before combining with junior Grace Rigsbee on the block to put the Jackets ahead 9-8. Pitt took three in a row to overtake the Jackets and Tech called timeout trailing 11-9. The Jackets fought back to tie the score at 13-13 on a kill from Dowd and Pitt called its first timeout. The Panthers took the next two points to take the set at 15-13 for the 3-2 win.
Up next:
The Jackets close out the weekend on Sunday, Nov. 10 when they travel to Charlottesville, Va., to take on the Cavaliers for a 1 p.m. first serve.
Tech Tidbits:
- Tech’s win in the second was only the second set the Panthers lost in conference play.
- Tech is the only team in the ACC to win a set against the Panthers in Pittsburgh this season.
- It was the first time this season an opponent recorded more kills than Pitt.
- Tech became just the third team to take the Panthers to five this season.
- Brambilla recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 15 kills and 17 digs.
- Brambilla’s 17 digs were a season high.
- Bergmann recorded her 12th double-double of the season with 24 kills and 15 digs.
- Bergmann’s 24 kills were a career high for the freshman.
- Dowd recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 13 kills and 13 digs.
ACC Network has launched!
The ACC Network is a linear and digital platform dedicated to 24/7 coverage of ACC sports that launched on Aug. 22, 2019. It will exclusively televise approximately 450 live events each year, including 40 football games as well as 150 men’s and women’s basketball contests.
Don’t get shut out! For more information and to learn if your cable/satellite/digital provider is carrying the ACC Network, visit GetACCN.com. Georgia Tech fans whose cable/satellite/digital providers aren’t carrying the ACC Network are urged to contact their providers and ask for the ACC Network to be a part of their subscription.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter (@GTVolleyball), Facebook (Georgia Tech Volleyball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
