Jackets Sweep Hokies to Open Conference Play

 

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech volleyball (9-3, 1-0 ACC) opened ACC play on a high note as the Yellow Jackets swept the Virginia Tech Hokies (3-7, 0-1 ACC) on Friday night in O’Keefe Gymnasium.

Quick Hits:

• Laura Bieleski led the Jackets’ offense and earned her third career double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs.
• Her .600 attack percentage was also good enough for a new career high while her three blocks tied her career high.
• Zoe Humphrey proved to be one of the most well-rounded players on the court on Friday as she finished the match with an exceptional .900 attack percentage, a career high mark, with nine kills on 10 swings as well as eight total blocks.
• Humphrey continues to lead the Jackets in blocks with 56 so far this season with her eight blocks tying her performance against UgA for second most blocks in a single match for a Yellow Jacket this season.
• Madga Kobaidze assisted Bieleski and Humphrey on offense with nine kills as well. The freshman also tied her career high for digs with 11 against the Hokies.
• Heloise Soares was responsible for 35 of Tech’s 40 total assists on Friday night, averaging over 11.5 assists per set (11.67). Her 35 assists on 56 total sets was enough to earn the senior a season high assist percentage (.625).
• Georgia Tech saw one of its most well executed offensive performances of the season with only nine errors on 78 total attack attempts along with a .423 attack percentage
• With 11 total blocks, the Jackets tied their second-most blocks as a team with their performance against No. 20 Baylor at the Ameritas Players Challenge.
• Georgia Tech advances to 23-10 in the all-time series against Virginia Tech, including an 11-3 winning record when hosting on The Flats.
• Friday night’s sold out crowd marked Georgia Tech volleyball’s 62^nd consecutive sold out match in O’Keefe Gymnasium.

SET BY SET

Set 1 (GT 25 – VT 8)

Georgia Tech was nothing short of a powerhouse across the board in the opening frame as the Jackets not only held the Hokies to a mere five kills in set one, but did so while recording a .550 attack percentage and six total blocks. Both teams stacked points to begin set one with Tech keeping a slight edge over Virginia Tech, keeping roughly a three-point lead early on. The turning point in set one was after Georgia Tech established a five-point (13-8) lead before shutting out the Hokies’ offense completely and holding Virginia Tech at eight points through to the end of set one. Humphrey led Tech undoubtedly through set one, recording five kills on five swings along with one solo block and four block assists. Soares began the day recording eight of Tech’s 10 set one assists while sporting a .667 assist percentage. The Jackets all pitched in for digs with five of the six Jackets seeing action in set one recording at least one dig with Bieleski (4) and Bennour (3) pulling most of the weight.

Set 2 (GT 25 – VT 13)

Despite the Hokies improved attack percentage, an increased amount of service errors and reception errors for Virginia Tech assisted the Jackets in taking the 25-13 set two win. Similar to set one, Georgia Tech jumped out in front, establishing an 11-3 lead before Virginia Tech called a timeout in hopes of stopping the Yellow Jackets momentum. Georgia Tech extended its lead, 15-5, as both teams headed into the media timeout. With the Yellow Jackets inching closer to set point, the Hokies once again called a timeout in hopes of regrouping before the hosting Tech could take the set win (20-12). Coming out of the final timeout, Georgia Tech stacked the final five points it needed to take set two while only allowing one more point in Virginia Tech’s favor. Bieleski led the group through set two with four kills alongside Kobaidze and Bianca Garibaldi who recorded three kills respectively. Soares stacked another 10 assists on 16 sets, good for a .625 assist percentage. Mana Kaneko, Bennour, and Kobaidze all recorded four digs each in the second set while Humphrey again led the team in blocks (2).

Set 3 (GT 25 – VT 20)

Set three was the closest set of the match with the Yellow Jackets going on to take the 25-20 despite an increased number of errors. Of the Jackets 25 points in the final frame, 19 came from kills which came alongside a .412 attack percentage. Georgia Tech did enough to hold the 15-12 lead going into the media timeout but chose to take its first timeout of the match after Virginia Tech was able to tie the set, 16-16. Coming out of their first timeout, the Jackets out muscled the Hokies and once again got some distance, taking a 21-18 lead and forcing a Virginia Tech timeout. Georgia Tech surrendered only two final points to Virginia Tech while going on to finish the match 25-20 with three final kills from Bieleski. In the third set, Bieleski recorded six kills with a .857 attack percentage, with Kobaidze just behind her with five kills as well. Soares capped her day with 17 final assists and a .607 assist percentage in the final frame.

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets close out their ACC opening weekend against Virginia Sunday Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. The Sunday match is sold out and set to be broadcasted on ACCNX.  

2026 McCamish Matches

Tech volleyball’s annual McCamish Match is set to return with twice the action as the Yellow Jackets will take on No. 2 Pitt and No. 5 SMU. Tickets are priced as follows for the ranked matches:

Pitt - $23

SMU - $20

Group rate - $18 for Pitt | $15 for SMU

McCamish Pack (includes tickets to both matches) - $32

Tickets for the McCamish Matches can be purchased here.

Single Match Tickets

Single match tickets are now on sale with tickets prices for the 15-match home schedule start at just $10.00 with youth pricing and group discounts (10+ in a single transaction) available (youth pricing not available online).

To purchase, click here.

Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.