CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. β No. 18 Georgia Tech volleyball dismantled Virginia for its seventh sweep of the season (25-19, 25-18, 25-8) on Friday night in Charlottesville, Va., never trailing throughout the matchβs entirety. The Yellow Jackets capped the match with a blazing finish, going on an 11-point run to clinch the third set and claim their third sweep of ACC play.
Tech (12-3, 3-2 ACC) throttled Virginia (8-7, 1-4 ACC) on paper, leading the Hoos in kills (44-23), hitting percentage (.267-.031), assists (40-22) and digs (50-37).
Junior outside hitter Julia Bergmann spearheaded the potent Jacket attack, tallying 18 kills at a robust .441 clip along with nine digs and a block assist. Senior setter Matti McKissock set up Bergmann and the offense throughout the night, producing 31 assists. On the defensive end, senior middle blocker Breland Morrissette and junior libero Paola Pimentel helped hold the Cavaliers to nearly a flat 0 hitting percentage as Morrissette came away with four total blocks (two solo, two assisted) while Pimentel led the team with 15 digs.
The Yellow Jackets are now a perfect 5-0 in true road matches and 3-0 away from The Flats in ACC play. Georgia Tech has won 44 of its last 53 matches dating back to 2019.
How it Happened
The Jackets led the first set throughout, getting started with three short bursts of three to take a 9-4 lead. The Hoos battled back to cut the Tech lead down to two, but the Yellow Jackets maintained their advantage, going on another three-point run up to an 18-12 lead. Tech cruised on from there to a 25-19 first set win capped by a pair of kills by Bergmann.
In the second set, Georgia Tech once again avoided trailing throughout the setβs entirety. A quick burst of three got the Yellow Jackets going early, jumping up to a 6-2 lead. Soon after, Tech caught fire, going on a seven-point run including three kills off the hand of Bergmann to lead by double digits at 15-5. The two sides traded blows from there, but the Cavaliers were unable to recover as the Jackets strode on to a 25-18 second set win.
Tech got ahead early once again to avoid trailing in the third set, using a four-point run to take an 8-3 lead. After incrementally building their lead up to a 14-8 score line, the Jackets exploded for an 11-point run as a kill from senior outside hitter Mikaila Dowd put an exclamation point on the 25-8 set win and match sweep. The 17-point set victory marked the largest margin of victory in a set for Tech this season.
Up Next
Georgia Tech will face its second top-three ranked opponent in as many weeks in No. 2 Pitt (14-0, 4-0 ACC), squaring off against the Panthers on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Pittsburgh, Pa. Coverage information is available here.
ππ ππ§ππ πππ¬π
π: Virginia
β°: 7β£ p.m.
π: Charlottesville, Va.
ποΈ: Memorial Gym
πΊ: https://t.co/ze6YkitVQP
π: https://t.co/ZbG2E6vyFW#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/OxM28k6IaG— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 8, 2021
Almost that β° in Charlottesvilleβ Check out our starters and follow along if you didn't make the trip π
Tune in on @ACCNetworkExtra
πΊ: https://t.co/ze6YkitVQP
π: https://t.co/ZbG2E6vyFW pic.twitter.com/DMnpRxwIR5— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 8, 2021
First point goes to the Jacketsβ
Tune in on @ACCNetworkExtra
πΊ: https://t.co/ze6YkitVQP pic.twitter.com/2aNMbI3z9W— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 8, 2021
Not happening π ββοΈ
πΊ: https://t.co/ze6YkitVQP pic.twitter.com/5B4IGzqlQJ
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 8, 2021
S1 | 3β£ runs of 3β£ for a ποΈ point lead? Not mad at itπ
π9β£
βοΈ4β£ pic.twitter.com/FnDgDiBEKC— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 8, 2021
Stay awake, Hoos π¬
πΊ: https://t.co/ze6YkitVQP pic.twitter.com/rnilH5PO85
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 8, 2021
Thanks for coming. Please try again π
πΊ: https://t.co/ze6YkitVQP pic.twitter.com/snphJzj9zH
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 8, 2021
Solid start πͺ#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/xqhrXKqWVw
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 8, 2021
Update: We're still hot. @BiancaBertolin0 comes through with the kill to cap a 3β£-point run and force a Virginia timeoutβ
π6β£
βοΈ2β£Tech leads the match 1β£-0β£ pic.twitter.com/xadan2FvnW
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 8, 2021
That's 6β£ STRAIGHT for the Jackets π³π₯ (including 3β£ Bergmann π£π£π£)
πΊ: https://t.co/ze6YkitVQP pic.twitter.com/tQiR3w4RJN
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 8, 2021
S2 | @mattimck_ catches the Cavaliers π΄ again with another setter kill π§
π2β£0β£
βοΈ1β£2β£Tech leads the match 1β£-0β£ pic.twitter.com/3BlGxSgJxt
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 9, 2021
So things are going well π Can't lie, a 7β£-point run never hurts π€·ββοΈ#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/TpFXYghvO1
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 9, 2021
If it ain't broke π€·ββοΈ
πΊ: https://t.co/ze6YkitVQP pic.twitter.com/aae1xKGloA
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 9, 2021
Ok @erinmoss0428, that was just rude.
πΊ: https://t.co/ze6YkitVQP pic.twitter.com/IRnQXtT4cR
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 9, 2021
S3 | After a successful challenge, that's now a 4β£-point πββοΈ and double digit lead for Tech π§
π1β£8β£
βοΈ8β£Tech leads the match 2β£-0β£ pic.twitter.com/JKssY0Z0iR
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 9, 2021
S3 | Jk, make that a 9β£-point run π₯π₯π₯ Timeout Virginia π₯΅
π2β£3β£
βοΈ8β£Tech leads the match 2β£-0β£ pic.twitter.com/9fxhYFoPKf
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 9, 2021
1β£1β£-0β£ run to cap the sweep… ππππβββ
πΊ: https://t.co/ze6YkitVQP pic.twitter.com/jagpaJWHZo
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 9, 2021
π₯ππ‘πππ₯π‘π’ ππππππ§π¦π₯
Tech earns its 7β£th sweep of the season with a flaming finish, going on an 1β£1β£-0β£ π₯π¨π‘ to cap the sweepβ The Jackets will next head to #β£2β£ Pitt on Sunday for a 1β£ p.m. clash in the 'Burgh.#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/bzA2M5Dc99
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) October 9, 2021
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