THE FLATS – No. 15 Georgia Tech volleyball (6-1) won its sixth match in a row on Thursday night, taking down South Alabama (1-5) in straight sets: 25-21, 25-19, 25-12. The Yellow Jackets seemed to get better as the match went on, posting a .458 team hitting percentage in the third to send another sold-out O’Keefe crowd home happy.
QUICK HITS
- This was the 32nd consecutive sold out match at O’Keefe Gymnasium, a streak dating back to the 2021 season.
- Senior outside hitter Tamara Otene recorded a career-best four aces in the sweep.
- Otene also led the team in kills, finishing with 11 for an even 100 kills after seven matches this season. It is the quickest she has ever reached the 100-kill mark in her five collegiate seasons.
- Senior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino finished with 10 kills but her biggest impact was in serve-receive, where she successfully passed all 25 serves sent her way.
- The Argentinian also finished with three aces, bringing her career total to 135, the eighth most in program history.
- Junior middle blocker Liv Mogridge enjoyed a great night at the net, making four total blocks (one solo and three assisted).
- Senior setter Luanna Emiliano was the only setter used all night, finishing with 31 assists and 7 digs.
- Tech dominated from the service line, making a season-high 10 aces as a team. It’s the most aces Tech has had in a sweep since making 11 against Virginia Tech last season (Sept. 29, 2023).
- Senior right side Laura Fischer secured the first service ace of her career, along with recording three kills on 1.000 hitting.
GT VB vs. South Alabama
Photos by Danny Karnik
SET BY SET
Set 1 (GT 25 – USA 21)
Tech took a quick lead in the match, up 7-3 over the Jaguars. South got some momentum and answered with some points of their own, cutting the lead to 14-13. South then tied the match at 17-17, and the teams exchanged points deep into set one, before Tech took a 23-21 lead and forced a Jaguar timeout. The Yellow Jackets rattled off two quick points and took the set 25-21. Tamara Otene and Bianca Bertolino both had three kills in set one. Defensively, Sofia Velez had five digs.
Set 2 (GT 25 – USA 19)
Set two opened with the teams trading points, before Tech used a 6-1 run to take a 10-4 run and forcing a South Alabama timeout. South Alabama used three-straight points to cut into the Tech lead, but the Yellow Jackets kept the lead (15-12). South Alabama did not go away easily, using a 4-0 scoring run to cut the tie the match at 17-17. The Yellow Jackets closed the set with a 8-2 run and an ace from Tamara Otene, to take a 2-0 lead. Otene added four more kills in the set, while Bertolino had three.
Set 3 (GT 25– USA 12)
The Yellow Jackets carried their momentum into set three, taking a quick 12-5 lead over the visiting Jaguars. The Jaguars called their second timeout early, with Tech holding a 15-6 lead. Tech momentum did not slow down, with the home squad reaching the 20-point mark first, leading 20-10. Tech closed out the night with a Bianca Bertolino kill, claiming set three 25-12 and sweeping the night, 3-0. Tamara Otene led the Yellow Jacket attack with 12 kills, with Bertolino totaling 10. Sofia Velez totaled 12 digs, while Luanna Emiliano adding in seven.
UP NEXT
Georgia Tech closes play in the Georgia Tech Classic Friday night, hosting Alabama State Friday (Sept. 13) at 7:30 p.m. in O’Keefe Gym. The match will be streamed live on ACCNX.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and 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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