GREENSBORO, N.C. – No. 16 Georgia Tech volleyball swept the season’s first ACC weekly awards as junior outside hitter Julia Bergmann was named ACC Player of the Week and freshman outside hitter Bianca Bertolino was tabbed ACC Freshman of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday.
For Bergmann, the recognition marks her second prestigious honor of the day as she was also selected as the AVCA Player of the Week, given to the top performer in the nation. On a conference scale, the announcement grants Bergmann her first career sole ACC Player of the Week title. The outside hitter was previously tabbed ACC Co-Player of the Week a season ago and ACC Freshman of the Week twice in 2019.
Bergmann has garnered such national recognition from a stellar performance in Georgia Tech’s season-opening tournament, the UCF Challenge, where she earned MVP status. The Munich, Germany, native led Tech to a 3-0 start that made waves in the volleyball world with wins over No. 17 Penn State (formerly ranked 12th), UCF and St. John’s on the way to a UCF Challenge title.
Along with her intangible impact on the team, Bergmann’s numbers are also among the nation’s best in multiple categories. To date, the veteran has led the Jacket attack with 53 kills (4.82 per set) on a .325 hitting percentage, 30 digs, five service aces and four total blocks (three solo). Amongst the conference, Bergmann currently leads the ACC in six different categories: attacks per set – 10.64, points – 61.5, points per set – 5.59, total attacks – 117, kills per set and total kills. On a national scale, the junior is currently top 15 in the NCAA in four of those areas – 10th in points, 14th in points per set, 14th in kills per set and eighth in total kills.
Bertolino, meanwhile, becomes the first Yellow Jacket since Bergmann to be named ACC Freshman of the Week. Making her collegiate debut, the Argentinian made a discernible impact through the UCF challenge, improving match by match as a key contributor. Bertolino compiled 34 kills, 32 digs, seven total blocks and three aces against the stiff competition in the tournament.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Bertolino positioned herself with some of the top marks in the conference, ranking seventh in the ACC in points (41.5) and 14th in the league in digs (32). Beginning with six kills, 10 digs and two total blocks in her collegiate debut, she earned her first double double in the following match with UCF, picking up 13 kills, 14 digs and three total blocks (two solo). Against St. John’s on Saturday, Bertolino’s 15 kills posted behind a team-leading .419 hitting percentage were the second-most kills on the squad as she also contributed eight digs and a pair of aces and total blocks.
Up Next
The Jackets will head to the West Coast next to face a pair of traditional national powers at the 2021 Long Beach State Tournament. Tech kicks off action on Friday against host Long Beach State at 10 p.m. ET, followed by a Saturday matchup versus No. 18-ranked UCLA, which begins at 6 p.m. ET.
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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