THE FLATS – No. 20 Georgia Tech volleyball will begin its 2023 campaign at the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational this weekend by taking on host South Florida and No. 8 Penn State in Tampa, Fla. The Yellow Jackets and Bulls will lock horns on Friday at 6 p.m. in Amalie Arena before the White and Gold line up against the Nittany Lions on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Yuengling Center.
Coverage
- Friday, Aug. 25 | No. 20 Georgia Tech at South Florida | 6 p.m. | ESPN+ | Watch | Live Stats
- Saturday, Aug. 26 | No. 20 Georgia Tech vs. No. 8 Penn State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+ | Watch | Live Stats
Storylines
- The Yellow Jackets were ranked No. 20 in the AVCA DI Coaches Preseason Poll.
- The White and Gold have been listed in 55 straight top 25 polls dating back to 2020, reaching as high as No. 6 during that time, the highest for the program since 2003 and third best mark all time.
- Tech was picked to finish top five in the ACC by the league’s coaches for the fourth consecutive year.
- Senior setter Bella D’Amico and junior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino were each selected preseason all-ACC.
- Both aforementioned returners were named all-ACC second team last season, while Bertolino also garnered an AVCA all-region honorable mention.
- Georgia Tech heads into the 2023 season on the heels of a 2022 season that saw the Jackets earn an NCAA tournament win for the third consecutive season under coach Michelle Collier, joining the White and Gold of 2002-04 as the only squads to do so in succession in program history.
- The berth in the Big Dance alone marked the 12th time in program history.
- Going beyond 2019’s NIVC title, Tech has won 79 of its last 99 matches.
- The Jackets boast 13 total returners from the 2022 NCAA tournament squad heading into the 2023 campaign.
- Joining the incumbents are seven highly touted new Yellow Jackets, including three transfers and four freshmen, three of which are international.
- Coach Michelle Collier will enter her 10th season leading the Jackets as the second winningest coach in program history, including 173 victories and 98 in conference play.
Series Notes
- Georgia Tech leads South Florida, 4-2, in the all-time series, winning each of the last four contests. The Yellow Jackets swept the Bulls in 2003 and 2006 at home before claiming a 3-1 neutral-site victory in 2015 and a five-set finish back on The Flats. The White and Gold own a 3-1 advantage at home and won the only neutral contest against USF.
- Penn State holds the edge over Georgia Tech in all-time matchups with a 3-1 lead in neutral-site contests. The Jackets claimed the most recent meeting the Nittany Lions with a 3-1 victory in Orlando, Fla., in 2021.
Up Next
Tech will remain on the road, next heading to No. 14 Ohio State for a pair of contests on Sept. 1-2 in Columbus, Ohio.
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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