THE FLATS – No. 11 Georgia Tech volleyball (2-0) will remain on the road for the second straight weekend, visiting No. 12 Ohio State (3-0) for a pair of highly-contested bouts as part of the Sports Imports Classic in Columbus, Ohio. The Yellow Jackets and Buckeyes will square off on Friday at 7 p.m. and again on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Covelli Center.
Coverage
- Friday, Sept. 1 | No. 11 Georgia Tech at No. 12 Ohio State | 7 p.m. | B1G+ | Watch | Live Stats
- Saturday, Sept. 2 | No. 11 Georgia Tech at No. 12 Ohio State | 6 p.m. | B1G+ | Watch | Live Stats
Storylines
- The Jackets were ranked No. 11 in the week one AVCA DI Coaches Poll, making the highest leap of teams in the preseason poll as they rose nine spots from their previous rank of No. 20.
- The White and Gold have been listed in 56 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.
- Starting the season 2-0, Tech swept South Florida before tying the third-highest ranked victory in program history with a 3-1 triumph over then No. 8 Penn State.
- Fueling the Yellow Jackets to their undefeated start was sophomore middle blocker Liv Mogridge and freshman outside hitter Larissa Mendes, who were each named to the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational all-tournament team.
- Mendes tied for the team lead in kills with 25 (3.57 k/s), finished second on the squad with six blocks (two solo, four assisted) and tallied the third-most digs on the team with 12 on the way to her weekend honors. After tallying double-digit kills in both contests, Mendes finished tied with fellow outside hitter Bianca Bertolino for sixth in kills per set (3.57) amongst the conference.
- Mogridge anchored the defense through the weekend, racking up 13 blocks (five solo, eight assisted) to lead the squad along with 16 kills at a .361 clip and five digs. The all-tournament selection currently leads the ACC in solo blocks, total blocks and blocks per set (1.86), placing 11th in the NCAA in the final category. The middle presence is also tied for the highest and second-highest marks for total blocks in a single match with seven against South Florida and another six against former No. 8 Penn State.
- Senior setter Bella D’Amico has run the point for the Yellow Jackets this season, landing third in the league with 10.57 assists per set.
- The Yellow Jackets enter the second week of the season amongst the top three in the ACC in four major categories – second in digs per set (15), third in assists per set (13.57), third in blocks per set (2.43) and third in opponent hitting percentage (.121).
- D’Amico and Bertolino were each selected preseason all-ACC.
- Both aforementioned returners were named all-ACC second team last season, while Bertolino also garnered an AVCA all-region honorable mention.
- Going beyond 2019’s NIVC title, Tech has won 81 of its last 101 matches.
- Coach Michelle Collier has begun her 10th season leading the Jackets as the second winningest coach in program history, including 175 victories and 98 in conference play.
Series Notes
- Georgia Tech trails Ohio State in the all-time series, 3-1.
- The Yellow Jackets swept the Buckeyes in the Sweet 16 in Louisville, Ky., in 2021 for their victory in the series.
Up Next
Georgia Tech will continue its road conquest for the third consecutive week, heading to the Florida A&M Tournament hosted by the namesake Rattlers (0-3) Sept. 8-10 in Tallahassee, Fla.
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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