No. 10 Yellow Jackets Wrangle Bison

THE FLATS — No. 10 Georgia Tech volleyball (8-1) took care of Howard (3-7) for its fifth sweep of the season (25-17, 25-13, 25-13) on Saturday in O’Keefe Gymnasium. The Yellow Jackets tied their largest set margin advantage twice with a pair of double-digit triumphs to cruise to victory.

The White and Gold were dominant in all phases, leading the way in kills (37-24), hitting percentage (.337-.101), assists (32-24), aces (9-1), digs (35-30) and blocks (8-4).

On the attack, three Yellow Jackets swung above .500 as sophomore middle blocker Liv Mogridge tied for the team lead with nine kills at a squad-best .667 clip, junior middle blocker DeAndra Pierce added five kills on a .714 hitting percentage and graduate middle blocker Afedo Manyang contributed four kills at a .571 rate.

Mogridge also led the defense with five blocks while senior outside hitter Tamara Otene finished alongside with a team-leading 13 digs on top of five kills. Senior setter Bella D’Amico primarily set up the offense with 22 assists, and junior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino was also a weapon from the service line, sniping four aces.

How it Happened

Georgia Tech built up a lead early in set one, going on a four-point run capped by a pair of aces courtesy of freshman right-side hitter Larissa Mendes for a 9-3 advantage. The Yellow Jackets continued to roll until a five-point burst put the set out of reach at 24-15. Tech took the final point soon after for a 25-17 first-set victory.

The White and Gold took the first four in set two and later firmed up control by claiming 13 points in 15 chances, catapulting up to a 21-7 lead. The Jackets would close out the second set with on top by double digits, 25-13.

Tech jumped in front in set three with a five-point stretch thanks to a pair of Bertolino aces, leading 5-2 in the early goings. The Yellow Jackets steadily built on their lead as a four-point run increased the lead to 17-8. Georgia Tech would cruise from there, finishing off the third set with another double-digit triumph, 25-13, for the fifth match sweep on the year.

Up Next

Georgia Tech will wrap up competition in its Georgia Tech Classic, hosting San Diego on Sunday at 1 p.m. in O’Keefe Gymnasium.

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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