PITTSBURGH, PA. – No. 19 Georgia Tech volleyball (20-9, 12-8 ACC) capped the 2024 regular season taking the No. 1 Pittsburgh Panthers the distance (29-1, 19-1 ACC) on Saturday afternoon. Tamara Otene notched her 12th double-double of the season with 19 kills and 20 digs while Bianca Bertolino recorded her 16th double-double of the season with 14 kills and 10 digs.
QUICK HITS
- Otene’s 19 kills push her to 410 total kills this season.
- Bertolino’s 14 kills against the Pitt bring her to 23 double-digit kill games this season.
- Her three service aces bring Bertolino to 12 matches this season recording three or more aces.
- Sofia Velez has now recorded 10 or more digs in 103 of her 109 collegiate matches after posting 13 digs against the Panthers.
- Her Saturday performance now put Velez at 411 digs on the season.
- Bertolino (302) and Otene (307) both surpassed the 300 mark for digs on the season as well.
- Luanna Emiliano led the team as far as assists with 28 while Heloise Soares pitched in 15 assists and six digs as the Jackets finished the regular season in their 5-2 rotation.
- Anna Boezi recorded a season-high four blocks against the No. 1 ranked Panthers as well as tied her season high for digs.
- The Yellow Jackets were one of four teams to force Pitt to play through five sets (Michigan, SMU, Louisville).
- This was Tech’s 10th five-set match this season.
Photos by Tyler Rover
Tech Volleyball versus Pitt
SET BY SET
Set 1 (GT 10 – PITT 25)
The Jackets trailed early in set one as a six-point run and a five-point run quickly made the match 15-4. Despite having more total attempts, Tech had numerous attack errors and struggled defensively to handle Pitt’s .478 attack percentage which hurt the Yellow Jackets ability to build momentum. Otene led the group through the first set with three kills while Logan Wiley contributed two kills as well. On defense, Otene secured 50% of Tech’s digs (4/8).
Set 2 (GT 26 – PITT 24)
Set two saw Georgia Tech take the lead for the first time in the match, 8-7, just before a five-point run returned the lead to Pitt (12-8). The Yellow Jackets responded by outscoring the Panthers 9-2 to reclaim the lead, 19-18. Pitt reached set point first but kills from Otene and Larissa Mendes combined with a block from Boezi and Otene gave Tech the set two victory. Liv Mogridge and Otene chipped in four kills respectively to Tech’s 16 set two kills. Mendes and Bertolino contributed three kills each as well to help the Yellow Jackets tie up the match. Emiliano recorded a match-high nine assists in set two alongside two service aces.
Set 3 (GT 13 – PITT 25)
Tech jumped out in front of Pitt in set three, but the Panthers’ .303 attack percentage proved to be problem. 15 kills and two service aces for the hosting Panthers gave them an edge and forced the Yellow Jackets to drop set three. Consistent through three sets, Otene marked over 50% of Tech’s set three kills. Otene also recorded three digs, while Velez lead the team with four. Emiliano added another five assists to her then 17 total assists.
Set 4 (GT 25 – PITT 18)
The Yellow Jackets once again got the jump on the hosting Panthers, to which Pitt clawed back to tie the set, 6-6. A kill from Bertolino kept Tech on top, where the Jackets would remain for the rest of the fourth set. Bertolino was the driving force in Tech’s set four win as she recorded over a third of the Yellow Jackets kills. Otene continued to be dangerous on offense as well, recording four kills. Tech not only improved its attack percentage from set three but also held Pitt to a .091 attack percentage and only nine kills.
Set 5 (GT 15 – PITT 17)
In the fifth and final set, both Tech and Pitt went on four-point scoring runs to keep the match close (7-7). After continuously trading points through the set, Pitt reached set point (14-13), but Tech refused to give up. Pitt would reach match point two more times before a final kill would end the match. The Yellow Jackets finished the match with nine kills and a .200 attack percentage compared to the Panthers’ 13 kills and .250 attack percentage. Otene and Bertolino finished strong with four final kills respectively and Emiliano would collect another four assists.
UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets will participate in the NCAA Tournament Selection Show to find out their opponent for the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. The show will be broadcast on Sunday (Dec. 1) at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
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.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on X (@GTAthletics), Facebook, Instagram or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
