SOUTH BEND, Ind. – No. 19 Georgia Tech volleyball (9-3, 1-2 ACC) proved its Top-20 ranking, coming from behind to earn a five-set conference victory, on the road, over Notre Dame (8-4, 1-2 ACC): 22-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-17, 15-13. The Yellow Jackets utilized long scoring runs to finish off both the fourth and fifth sets, earning GT its second five-set victory of 2024.
QUICK HITS
- Georgia Tech improves to 3-0 in true road matches this season and 4-0 in matches away from home.
- It is the third time in the last four seasons that GT has won its first three road matches.
- This was the second five-set victory of the year, improving Tech’s record in five-setters to 2-1. The other victory also came on the road, against then-No. 14 BYU.
- As a team, Tech set new season high with 80 digs, the first 80+ dig effort of the year and first since Oct. 13, 2023 (85 vs. Florida St.).
- Sophomore right side Larissa Mendes recorded her first double-double of the season tonight, finishing with 16 kills and 11 digs. Her 16 kills were tied for the most on the team with senior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino.
- Mendes also set a new career high with three aces to lead GT with 20 points scored.
- Bertolino delivered her 30th-career double-double, and fifth of the season, making 16 kills along with a team-best 17 digs.
- Senior setter Luanna Emiliano secured her 4th double-double of the season and 69th of her career, posting 42 assists along with a season-high 14 digs.
- Junior libero Sofia Velez tied her career-high with 16 digs.
- Senior outside hitter Tamara Otene was one dig shy of a double-double, finishing with 14 kills and nine digs.
- Senior setter Ashlyn Goolsby set new career highs in assists (9) and digs (4). She recorded three digs in the opening set, surpassing her previous mark (2) set last Friday vs. SMU.
- Six different Jackets combined for nine service aces tonight, headlined by Mendes’ career-best three and two from Otene. Bertolino added an ace to bring her career total to 141, just two shy of tying Margaret Gales (1986-89) for the seventh most aces in program history.
GT VB at ND
Photos by Tyler Rover
SET BY SET
Set 1 (GT 22 – ND 25)
The first set was all about scoring runs. Notre Dame threw the first punch, going in front, 4-1, only for Tech to respond with a 5-1 run to take the lead, 6-5. It wouldn’t last long as a 5-0 Irish run made it an 8-11 deficit. Tech would use a 3-0 run to tie the match at 17 but an awkward landing on a play at the net by Emiliano took her off the court for a number of plays. With Emiliano on the bench, Notre Dame capitalized, going in front, 22-18, and holding on for the opening set victory. Emiliano would return to action for the final points of the set and continued on through the remainder of play.
Set 2 (GT 25- ND 21)
The second set was more conventional, with both teams trading points until a 4-0 Jacket run put the White & Gold ahead, 14-11. Senior middle blocker DeAndra Pierce played a big part in the run, scoring a kill and adding in a block to shift momentum into the Jackets’ favor. Tech managed to hold onto the leaf through the rest of the set, never allowing Notre Dame to get back within a point and eventually winning by four. Bertolino and Otene shouldered the offense throughout the set, combining for nine kills while Velez and Emiliano held down the fort defensively, each making six digs for 12 of Tech’s 21 digs in the set, holding ND to .122 hitting in the process.
Set 3 (GT 20 – ND 25)
Notre Dame took the lead early in the set and kept pulling away, leading by as much as seven points (18-11). Tech fought back, cutting the lead to just three (20-17) but it wouldn’t be enough and Notre Dame to a 2-1 set advantage into the fourth. Notre Dame was very efficient with its attacks in the third, despite six digs from Bertolino, finishing with a .325 hitting percentage.
Set 4 (GT 25 – ND 17)
With their backs against the wall, the Jackets showed their experience in the fourth, bouncing back from a 3-0 deficit right off the bat to eventually take control of the set, 16-9, and closing out an eight-point victory. Tech showed its poise, presenting a balanced offensive attack while delivering aggressive serves to keep the Irish out of system. Five different Jackets registered multiple kills, led by four apiece from Otene and Mendes, each doing so on .500 hitting. By the end of the set, Tech outhit ND .346 to .074 in a dominant display of volleyball.
Set 5 (GT 15 – ND 12)
Notre Dame jumped out to a two-point lead in the fifth until a 4-0 Tech run flipped the script, giving GT a 7-5 lead. The Irish stayed with it, going on a 7-2 run to take what appeared to be a commanding 12-9 lead in the pivotal fifth set, only for Tech to flex its muscles one more time, winning six of the final seven points to ruin the potential upset bid and claim its first victory of the ACC season. Balance was the name of the game in the final scoring run, with five different Jackets contributing to the six final points (kills from Bertolino, Mendes and Otene, a block from Liv Mogridge and Mendes and an ace from Emiliano).
UP NEXT
Tech closes out the weekend with yet another ranked ACC match, this time at No. 4 Louisville (11-2, 3-0 ACC). First serve from L&N Federal Credit Union Arena is set for 1:30 p.m. on ACC Network.
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.
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