No. 18 Georgia Tech Opens ACC Play at Wake Forest, Virginia Tech

THE FLATS – No. 18 Georgia Tech volleyball (9-1) will hit the road for a battle of nine-win teams to begin ACC play, opening conference competition at Wake Forest (9-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. in Winston-Salem, N.C. before making a short trip to Virginia Tech (9-3) for a Sunday match at 1 p.m. in Blacksburg, Va.

Coverage

• Friday, Sept. 24 | No. 18 Georgia Tech at Wake Forest | 7 p.m. | ACC Network Extra | Watch | Live Stats
• Sunday, Sept. 26 | No. 18 Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech | 1 p.m. | ACC Network Extra | Watch | Live Stats

Storylines

• The Jackets remained 18^th for the second consecutive week in the latest AVCA Top 25 poll. Since appearing in the Top 25 at No. 12 on Sept. 30, 2020, Georgia Tech has been listed in 27 straight top 25 polls to date.
• Going beyond 2019’s NIVC title, Tech has won 41 of its last 48 matches.
• The Yellow Jackets have won 27 of their last 29 matches on The Flats in O’Keefe Gymnasium.
• Georgia Tech currently sits at 9-1 after a flawless ACC/SEC Challenge, sweeping both Arkansas and longtime rival Georgia.
• The Yellow Jackets are off to a strong start for the fourth consecutive season after going 9-0 to start 2018, 6-1 to open 2019 and 8-1 to begin last season.
• Tech’s most notable win to date came in the form of a season-opening victory over No. 20 Penn State (previously No. 12). The win marked the highest ranked triumph for Tech since the 2003 NCAA tournament, the first ranked victory for the program since 2017 and the first win over the Nittany Lions in Georgia Tech history. For Penn State, the defeat marked its first nonconference loss outside the top 10 since 2016.
• Georgia Tech boasts some of the best statistical marks in the nation to date. The Jackets are currently second in the ACC and 8th in the NCAA in assists per set (13.14). Tech is also third in the league and 11^th in the nation in kills per set (14.19). On a conference scale, the Yellow Jackets are currently third in the league in digs per set (15.53) as well.
• Bergmann has racked up awards on a national scale this season being named AVCA Player of the Week, ACC Player of the Week, UCF Challenge MVP and to three all-tournament teams. Her AVCA honor as the best player in the nation for the week marked the first time a Yellow Jacket has received the award since Kele Eveland on Sep. 15, 2003.
• Bergmann’s numbers back up her accolades as she’s among the nation’s best in multiple categories. To date, the veteran has led the Jacket attack with 161 kills (4.47 per set), 103 digs, 13 service aces and 21 total blocks (11 solo, 10 assisted).
• On a national scale, Bergmann maintains some of the top numbers in the country. The veteran is currently 14^th in the country in points per set (5.28) and 21^st in the nation in kills per set (4.47).
• Amongst the conference, those marks put her first in points per set and second in kills per set. She’s also fourth in the league in total points (190) and total kills (161) this season.
• Freshman outside hitter Bianca Bertolino has staked her claim as one of the top freshmen in the conference this season as she won ACC Freshman of the Week in back-to-back weeks for her first two weeks of her collegiate career. The Argentinian also was selected to two all-tournament teams.
• In individual matches, her 21 kills against Long Beach State are tied for the fifth most in a single match amongst the league this season. In that same match, her .541 attack percentage is the eighth highest mark in the ACC with more kills than any other listing in the top 10.
• Senior setter Matti McKissock continues to climb in the Georgia Tech record books as she’s currently seventh in career assists in program history with 3,176 to date. This season, McKissock is second in the conference and 19^th in the country with 10.97 assists per set as well as third in the ACC in total assists with 384.

Series History

• Tech holds a 37-12 lead over Wake Forest in the all-time series, including a 12-match win streak from 2000-05. The Jackets have swept the last three meetings, owning a 20-5 home record and 17-6 road record against the Demon Deacons.
• Georgia Tech currently leads Virginia Tech 17-10 in the all-time series. The Jackets have six of the last seven matchups since 2015, including a pair of road sweeps in the last two contests. The Yellow Jackets are 8-3 at home and 9-6 on the road against the Hokies.

Scouting Wake Forest

• The Deacs have gotten off to a 9-2 start this season, only falling in five sets to Kansas and to No. 22 Western Kentucky (previously 15). Wake Forest comes into the matchup riding a six-match win streak, sweeping four of those six matches.
• The Demon Deacons currently lead the ACC and are 16^th in the NCAA in aces per set (2). Wake Forest is also fifth in the ACC in both opponent hitting percentage (0.159) and kills per set (13.92), ranking 25^th in the country in the latter.
• On an individual level, redshirt senior setter Andrea Fuentes leads the ACC and is fourth in the nation in assists per set (11.46) for the Deacs. Fuentes is also third in the ACC and 36th in the nation in aces per set (0.51), third in the ACC in total aces (19) and second in the ACC in total assists (424).
• Freshman defensive specialist Kalani Whillock is currently second in the conference in digs per set (4.41) and fourth in the ACC in total digs (163).

Scouting Virginia Tech

• The Hokies enter the weekend with a 9-3 record to date, winning four of their last five matches.
• Virginia Tech leads the ACC in total blocks and aces to date, ranking seventh in the nation in total blocks (126.5) and 21^st in the country in aces (82).
• Amongst the league, the Hokies are also second in digs (720) and third in kills (580) as well as assists (535).
• Individually, junior libero Logan Mosley leads the ACC and is 18^th in the country in digs (225) while also topping the conference in digs per set (4.41).
• Senior middle blockers Tasha Vipond and Angel Robinson anchor the Hokie defense, both ranking 4th in the ACC with 53 blocks.
• Robinson is also fifth in hitting percentage in the ACC (0.384) while Vipond is also fifth in blocks per set in the ACC (1.26).
• Sophomore outside hitter Cierra Huntley has found success from the service line, placing fifth in the ACC in aces (16) and aces per set (0.46).

Up Next

The Jackets will return to O’Keefe Gymnasium for their first conference homestand of the season, welcoming the top two teams in the ACC by finish a season ago in Notre Dame and No. 5 Louisville. Georgia Tech will first host the Fighting Irish on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. before a highly anticipated, ranked showdown with the Cardinals on Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.

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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