THE FLATS – No. 11 Georgia Tech volleyball (11-1, 2-0 ACC) will further conference play with a four-match road swing, opening the first half this week at Virginia Tech (10-3, 0-2 ACC) on Friday at 4 p.m. in Blacksburg, Va. before concluding the weekend at Wake Forest (10-3, 1-1 ACC) on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Coverage
- Friday, Sept. 29 | No. 11 Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech | 4 p.m. | ACC Network Extra | Watch | Live Stats
- Sunday, Oct. 1 | No. 11 Georgia Tech at Wake Forest | 1 p.m. | ACC Network Extra | Watch | Live Stats
Storylines
- Georgia Tech was ranked No. 11 in the latest AVCA DI Coaches Poll.
- The Jackets’ 11-spot ties the eighth highest ranking in program history alongside the squads from 2003 and 2022.
- The White and Gold have been listed in 60 straight top 25 polls dating back to 2020, reaching as high as No. 5 during that time, the highest for the program since 2003 and second-best mark all time.
- Tech recently won its first two conference matches of the season over Clemson and NC State, 3-1.
- Coach Michelle Collier achieved her 100th career win in ACC play with the victory over the Wolfpack, now tied for the program record in conference wins.
- Collier is into her 10th season leading the Jackets as the second winningest coach in program history, including 184 victories and 100 in conference play.
- Senior outside hitter Tamara Otene was named this week’s ACC Offensive Player of the Week after racking up a team-leading 38 kills (4.75 k/s), two aces and an assist on top of her defensive contributions with 28 digs and three blocks over the first week of ACC play.
- Otene’s efforts resulted in her sixth and seventh double doubles this season as she played a key role on both ends, highlighted by her Tech best 22 kills and 15 digs against Clemson and followed by 16 kills and 13 digs facing NC State.
- Tech now owns four total ACC weekly awards this season as freshman right side hitter Larissa Mendes owns two ACC Co-Freshman of the Week awards of her own, and senior libero Paola Pimentel has once been named ACC Defensive Player of the Week.
- Junior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino has been a weapon from the service line with 27 aces to top the ACC and land 18th in the NCAA. The Argentinian also leads the league and places fifth in the nation in aces per set (0.64).
- Pimentel has been all over the floor, racking up 196 digs to rank third in the conference in digs per set (4.67).
- Other top five marks for individual Yellow Jackets include sophomore middle blocker Liv Mogridge’s 0.446 hitting percentage (4th ACC/14th NCAA) alongside freshman right side hitter Larissa Mendes’ 4.04 points per set (4th ACC).
- Georgia Tech furthers league play amongst the top three in the ACC and top 25 in the NCAA in four major categories – fronting the conference and 16th in the country in digs per set (16.64), second the league and fourth in the nation in opponent hitting percentage (0.133), second in the ACC and eighth in the NCAA in kills per set (14.19) and third in the league and 21st the nation in assists per set (12.88).
- The Yellow Jackets set the program attendance record of 5,303 against Georgia in McCamish Pavilion earlier this season.
- Tech highlighted its nonconference schedule by earning the third-highest ranked victory in program history over then No. 8 Penn State and a pair of 3-1 wins over previous No. 12 Ohio State.
- The three-consecutive top-15 triumphs marked the first such streak in school history.
- Going beyond 2019’s NIVC title, Tech has won 90 of its last 111 matches.
Series Notes
- Georgia Tech currently leads Virginia Tech 19-10 in the all-time series. The Jackets have claimed eight of the last nine matchups since 2015, including each of the last four with three straight road sweeps and a home sweep last season. The Yellow Jackets are 9-3 at home and 10-6 on the road against the Hokies.
- Tech holds a 39-12 lead over Wake Forest in the all-time series, including a 12-match win streak from 2000-05. The Jackets have swept the last five meetings including a home sweep last season, owning a 21-5 home record and 18-6 road record against the Demon Deacons.
Up Next
Georgia Tech will finish the tail end of its four-match road stint, heading to No. 8 Pitt on Oct. 6 for a 7 p.m. matchup in Pittsburgh before wrapping up the trip at Virginia on Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. in Charlottesville, Va.
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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