No. 18 Jackets Muzzle Dawgs

THE FLATS – No. 18 Georgia Tech volleyball finished its nonconference schedule on arguably the highest of notes around The Flats, overwhelming longtime rival Georgia for a sweep (25-22, 25-17, 25-12) in front of a sellout crowd on Saturday night in O’Keefe Gymnasium.

The Yellow Jackets (9-1) claimed their fourth of the last six Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate matchups as they earned their fifth straight win on the season. Tech’s 9-1 nonconference record marks the best start for the Jackets since a 9-0 opening to the 2018 season. With the win, the White and Gold have now won 41 of the last 48 matches as well as 27 of the last 29 matches in O’Keefe Gymnasium.

Georgia Tech pounded Georgia (4-7) on the stat sheet, leading the way in kills (47-29), hitting percentage for a season high (.410-.198), assists (45-29), digs (32-19) and service aces (5-1).

The dynamic duo of senior right-side hitter Mariana Brambilla and junior outside hitter Julia Bergmann formed a near unstoppable force on the attack for the Jackets, tallying 30 of Tech’s 47 kills on the night. Brambilla led the way with 17 kills at an imposing .481 clip, including a season-high tying three aces to go with four digs. Bergmann followed with 13 kills on a gaudy hitting percentage of her own at .455 while also pitching in defensively with six digs and three total blocks (one solo, two assisted). The attack was set up by Tech’s mainstay at setter, senior Matti McKissock, who came away with 40 assists on the night.

How it Happened

The Bulldogs kept things interesting in the first set as neither side managed to create separation of more than two points up to an even tally of 21 all. Following 16 tie scores throughout the set, the Jackets took control to win four of the next five points behind a Georgia error and a kill from each of the three “Killer B’s” to claim the first set, 25-22.

Georgia Tech took control early in the second set, using a five-point run to jump in front, 7-2. The Yellow Jackets took three straight points shortly after before going on a six-point run next to lead by double digits, 17-6. The Dawgs were unable to close the gap as the Jackets cruised from there to a 25-17 set two win.

With a rivalry sweep on the line, Tech kept its foot on the gas with another six-point run early in the third set to lead, 9-4. The Jackets pushed further ahead with four consecutive points capped by a McKissock ace to move up to a 14-6 lead. Georgia Tech continued to pace ahead with spurts of two and three points until junior middle blocker Erin Moss finished off a final three-point run to ice a 25-12 blowout third set win for a match sweep by the Yellow Jackets.

Up Next

Georgia Tech will open conference play on the road, heading to Wake Forest for a battle of nine-win teams on Friday at 7 p.m. in Winston-Salem, N.C. before wrapping up the weekend with Virginia Tech on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Blacksburg, Va. Live coverage information will be provided here.

Alexander-Tharpe Fund

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.   

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