No. 18 Tech Readies for Road Test at Virginia, No. 2 Pitt

THE FLATS – No. 18 Georgia Tech volleyball (11-3, 2-2 ACC) will get back on the road for another cutthroat ACC weekend, heading to Virginia (8-6, 1-2 ACC) to take on the Cavaliers on Friday at 7 p.m. in Charlottesville, Va. before wrapping up the weekend at No. 2 Pitt (14-0, 4-0 ACC) in a clash with the ACC co-leading Panthers on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Coverage

• Friday, Oct. 8 | No. 18 Georgia Tech at Virginia | 7 p.m. | ACC Network Extra | Watch | Live Stats
• Sunday, Oct. 10 | No. 18 Georgia Tech at No. 2 Pitt | 1 p.m. | ACC Network Extra | Watch | Live Stats

Storylines

• The Jackets remained 18^th for the fourth 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 29 straight top 25 polls to date.
• Going beyond 2019’s NIVC title, Tech has won 43 of its last 52 matches.
• The Yellow Jackets have won 27 of their last 31 matches on The Flats in O’Keefe Gymnasium.
• A week after hosting the highest ranked opponent in program history on record in No. 3 Louisville, Georgia Tech will take on No. 2 Pitt. The Panthers advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament a season ago.
• Pitt will become the highest ranked opponent the Jackets have faced since No. 1 USC in 2004.
• After playing in 12 top-five matches on record, Georgia Tech’s last win in such contests was a 3-2 victory over No. 5 Nebraska in 2003 at a neutral site.
• Junior outside hitter Julia Bergmann highlighted last weekend’s competition, coming one kill short of her career high with a gaudy 30 kills on a .317 hitting percentage against Notre Dame. The 30 kills mark the highest total by not only any Yellow Jacket this season, but also any player in the ACC to date. She also added 11 digs for her eighth double double of the year along with a pair of assists and block assists.
• Georgia Tech’s most notable win to date came in the form of a season-opening victory over No. 13 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 currently lead the ACC and rank fourth in the NCAA in kills per set (14.50). Tech also tops the conference and is ranked eighth nationally in assists per set (13.16) On a conference scale, the Yellow Jackets are currently second in the league in digs per set (15.96) 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 224 kills (4.48 per set), 143 digs, 20 service aces and 26 total blocks (14 solo, 12 assisted).
• On a national scale, Bergmann maintains some of the top numbers in the country. The veteran is currently 12^th in the country in points per set (5.28) and 16^th in the nation in kills per set (4.48), leading the ACC in both categories.
• 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.
• 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 3,329 to date. This season, McKissock leads the ACC and is 13th in the NCAA with 10.96 assists per set while ranking third in the conference in total assists with 537.

Series History

• Tech holds a 39-22 lead over Virginia in the all-time series, including a four-match win streak coming into the contest. The Jackets most recently swept the Hoos at a neutral site in Pittsburg, Pa. in 2021. Georgia Tech owns a pair of nine-match winning streaks (1991-95; 2007-12) as well as an 11-match flawless stretch (2001-05) throughout the series. The Yellow Jackets lead the Cavaliers 19-8 at home, 17-15 on the road and 3-0 in neutral site contests.
• Georgia Tech currently trails Pitt 10-1 in the all-time series. The win for the Jackets came at a neutral site in Jonesboro, Ark., a 3-1 victory in the first meeting of the two sides in 2007.

Scouting Virginia

• The Cavaliers enter the weekend at 8-6 overall, going 1-2 in ACC play. The Hoos picked up their lone ACC win over North Carolina with a 3-1 victory on the road (Sept. 26)
• Defense is Virginia’s calling card as the Cavaliers are currently eighth in the nation and second in the conference in blocks per set (2.98). Virginia is also 25^th in the NCAA and second in the ACC in total blocks (149) as well as third in the league in opponent hitting percentage (0.168).
• On an individual level, graduate senior middle blocker Alana Walker leads the Hoos and the ACC on the block as she’s currently third in the nation in blocks per set (1.74) and second in the country in total blocks with 87.
• Senior outside hitter Grace Turner has specialized from the service line as she’s currently second in the league in both aces per set (0.50) and total aces (25).

Scouting No. 2 Pitt

• The Panthers have gotten off to a perfect 14-0 start this season, including four ranked wins at the time of competition and a clean sweep of their last three ACC opponents in NC State, Virginia and Duke. Pitt downed No. 23 Rice (now receiving votes), No. 18 Washington State (now receiving votes), No. 9 Baylor (now No. 12) and No. 12 BYU (now No. 9) in ranked competition.
• Pitt’s offensive efficiency has been its strongest suit to date as the Panthers are currently second in the ACC and 12^th in the NCAA in assists per set (13.10) while ranking third in the league and 17^th in the country in hitting percentage (0.275).
• Senior middle blocker leads the way for Pitt when it comes to offensive efficiency as she’s among the ACC’s best owning a 0.368 hitting percentage to date. Graduate senior Chinaza Ndee meanwhile fronts the attack in production with 160 kills this season.

Up Next

Georgia Tech will make a short trip to Clemson for a midweek matchup next Wednesday (Oct. 13) at 7 p.m. in Clemson, S.C. before returning home to host Duke a week from Sunday (Oct. 17) at 2 p.m. in O’Keefe Gymnasium.

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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