THE FLATS — No. 13 Georgia Tech volleyball (8-2, 1-0 ACC) swept Wake Forest (8-4, 0-1 ACC) for its first conference win and coach Michelle Collier’s 200th career win on Friday night in O’Keefe Gymnasium. The White and Gold never trailed throughout the match’s entirety and were only tied at 2-2 early in the first set.
The Yellow Jackets used an emphatic finish to claim the first set, but swarmed the Demon Deacons in the next two sets, nearly doubling them for a combined 50-26 total.
In the White and Gold’s sixth sweep of the season, Tech outmatched Wake Forest in nearly every major category. Most notably holding the Demon Deacons to nearly 0 in hitting percentage, the Yellow Jackets held the advantage in kills (39-25), assists (38-25), hitting percentage (.277-.075) and digs (47-34).
Georgia Tech fielded a balanced attack on the night as four Yellow Jackets finished with eight or more kills, two of which maintained hitting percentages over .400 in senior middle blocker Erin Moss (.412) and junior outside hitter Tamara Otene (.571). Otene finished with nine digs to go with her eight kills, while Moss led the team with three blocks. Other standouts included senior libero Paola Pimentel with a match-high 17 digs along with junior setter Bella D’Amico orchestrating the offense with 32 assists.
Senior outside hitter Julia Bergmann also made an impact with eight kills, 10 digs and a season-high four aces. With those aces, the Brazilian bomber moved into sixth in program history with 145 career aces, surpassing Margaret Gales (1986-89) with 143.
Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest
September 23, 2022 (Danny Karnik)
How it Happened
The Yellow Jackets created initial separation in the first set, using a four-point run to skip in front, 10-4. The Demon Deacons managed to draw back within a point to trail 13-12, but the White and Gold used an identical run to widen the gap once more, 17-12. Wake Forest bounced back again to cut the Yellow Jacket lead to two at 18-16, but Tech would pull away one final time, taking seven of the last eight points to put a stamp on a 25-17 first set win closed out by Bergmann’s third ace of the set.
The Jackets rolled into the second set, controlling the Demon Deacons to build up a double-digit lead at 14-4. Tech maintained its double-digit distance from then on, finishing with the highest lead of the set as Bergmann’s fourth ace handed the White and Gold a 25-11 set two victory.
Georgia Tech paced ahead yet again in the third set as graduate middle blocker Breland Morrissette’s third ace of the day capped a three-point burst to move the Jackets in front, 10-6. Tech continued to keep its distance, later taking five points out of six opportunities to push further ahead, 20-12. The White and Gold would close out the match in the same fashion, claiming five of the final six points to secure a double-digit victory in set three, 25-15. The sweep becomes the first of the season in conference play for the Jackets.
Up Next
Georgia Tech will wrap up its first ACC weekend hosting Virginia Tech (8-4, 1-0 ACC) on Sunday at 1 p.m. in O’Keefe Gymnasium. The match will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
Multimedia
🏐𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐃𝐀𝐘🏐
🆚: Wake Forest
⏰: 7⃣ p.m.
📍: ATL
🏟️: O'Keefe Gymnasium
🎟️: 𝙎𝙀𝙇𝙇𝙊𝙐𝙏
📺: https://t.co/24Zsxyxpz9
📻: https://t.co/wCHoG2qVq1
📈: https://t.co/zLkesbKRbe#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/q5bYXQvlhQ— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
🔒 in for ACC play#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/zxGBQESoaG
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
Let the ACC gauntlet begin 🫡
Tune in on ACC Network Extra
📺: https://t.co/24ZsxyfOaz
📈: https://t.co/p5qD3syGEU#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/xjsm2lbJd5— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 + 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 🎯💥
Tune in on ACC Network Extra
📺: https://t.co/24ZsxyfOaz#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/IoNKgH9VfB— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
✌️ 𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐒 for Julia in the middle of a 4⃣-point 🏃♀️ for the Jackets ♠️
🎩4⃣
🐝🔟 pic.twitter.com/JBIjRDLfNJ— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
🔥𝙀𝙉 𝙁𝙐𝙀𝙂𝙊🔥
Tune in on ACC Network Extra
📺: https://t.co/24ZsxyfOaz#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/wPFJOt1ktI— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
🖐️ straight points for the Jackets 😵💫
🎩1⃣6⃣
🐝2⃣3⃣ pic.twitter.com/Zuesr4uHQg— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
Wide a𝗪𝗮𝗸𝗲#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/QPGhbZVo06
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
Guess who just took 6⃣ of the last 7⃣ points 🙋♀️
🎩3⃣
🐝8⃣Tech leads the match 1⃣-0⃣ in the second set pic.twitter.com/pw7hZu4n0D
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
Uh-uh.
📺: https://t.co/24ZsxyfOaz#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/dYZwcFPosP
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
Bianca 💣💥
📺: https://t.co/24ZsxyfOaz#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/oHK6JUAlmO
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
Doubled down on the Demon Deacons ✔️✔️#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/T30Y4WqY5b
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 23, 2022
.@erinmoss0428 doing @erinmoss0428 things 💪 The Jackets take the first 3⃣ points of the third set❕
🎩0⃣
🐝3⃣Tech leads the match 2⃣-0⃣ pic.twitter.com/grbtqsknct
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 24, 2022
It might be better to let it go and hope she swings wide tbh 🥵
📺: https://t.co/24ZsxyfOaz#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/RGDinjwOZU
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 24, 2022
𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐍 🏹
The Jackets have 7⃣ ♠️𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐒♠️ so far thanks to 4⃣ from Julia and a career-high 3⃣ by Breland 🎯
🎩1⃣2⃣
🐝2⃣0⃣Tech leads the match 2⃣-0⃣ in third set pic.twitter.com/SpXB8Guj1Y
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 24, 2022
Exorcised our demons 😇#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/7KRe0uRkSA
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 24, 2022
🗣: @collmich on the 🎙 after her 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣th career win in Tech’s ACC opening sweep 🧹#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/VTSASOxRvs
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 24, 2022
A milestone win tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/gfdve9rH3m
— The ACC (@theACC) September 24, 2022
🐐#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/Acx77NP4eh
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 24, 2022
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.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Instagram (@GTVolleyball), Twitter (@GTVolleyball), Facebook (Georgia Tech Volleyball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.