THE FLATS – No. 24 Georgia Tech volleyball will begin its 2021 campaign on the road at the UCF Challenge this weekend by taking on No. 12 Penn State and UCF on Friday and St. John’s on Saturday in Orlando, Fla. The Jackets will open the season and tournament with the Nittany Lions at 10 a.m. on Friday, followed by another Friday matchup with the Knights at 7 p.m. Tech will wrap up its first weekend of play with St. John’s at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Coverage
- Friday, Aug. 27 | No. 24 Georgia Tech vs. No. 12 Penn State | 10 a.m. | Live Stats
- Friday, Aug. 27 | No. 24 Georgia Tech at UCF | 7 p.m. | ESPN + | Watch | Live Stats
- Saturday, Aug. 28 | No. 24 Georgia Tech vs. St. John’s | 5:30 p.m. | Live Stats
Storylines
- The Jackets were ranked No. 24 in the AVCA DI Coaches Preseason Poll.
- Tech was picked to finish third in the ACC by the league’s coaches.
- Senior right-side hitter Mariana Brambilla and junior outside hitter Julia Bergmann were both selected preseason all-ACC.
- Head coach Michelle Collier selected Brambilla, senior libero Maddie Tippett and junior middle blocker Erin Moss as captains for the 2021 season.
- Georgia Tech heads into the 2021 season on the heels of a 2020-21 season that saw the Jackets advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2004.
- The Yellow Jackets took down Lipscomb in the First Round for their first NCAA Tournament win in nearly 21 years.
- The berth in the Big Dance alone marked the 10th time in program history, the first for the Yellow Jackets since 2009 and the first appearance under coach Michelle Collier.
- Going beyond 2019’s NIVC title, Tech has won 32 of its last 38 matches.
- Tech had three Jackets receive yearly honors in 2020-21 in Brambilla (AVCA All-American, All-ACC First Team), Bergmann (AVCA All-American, All-ACC First Team) and Matti McKissock (All-ACC Second Team).
- The three decorated upperclassmen along with seven more letter winners, including all regular starters and 99 percent of 2020’s production across the board, have returned to The Flats for the 2021 campaign.
- Joining the incumbents are transfers Nicole Drewnick (Nebraska) and Paola Pimentel (Miami Dade) along with incoming freshmen Bianca Bertolino, Kali Engeman, Laura Fischer, Ashlyn Goolsby, Leia Harper and Lauren Sanden.
Series Notes
- Penn State has taken the previous three meetings of the two sides. The Jackets and Nittanty Lions squared off in 1993, 1995, and 1996 at neutral sites.
- Georgia Tech currently leads UCF in the all-time series 3-2. The Jackets claimed the last three contests of the series with sweeps at home in 1994, 1996 and 2004.
- St. John’s topped Tech in the only matchup between the two in 2013.
Up Next
Georgia Tech will trek to the West Coast to take on Long Beach State Sept. 3 and No. 17 UCLA Sept. 4 in the Long Beach State Tournament.
Season Tickets
Adult Season – $55.00
Youth (ages 3-18)/Senior (55+) Season – $30.00
Season tickets are now available. Secure your new season tickets online HERE or renew your season tickets through your ticket account found at www.ramblinwreck.com/myaccount or by calling the Georgia Tech Ticket Office at 888.TECH.TIX. To renew online, please log into your account and click on Season Ticket Renewals located in the right-hand column. If you need assistance, the Georgia Tech Ticket Office is open Monday – Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The renewal deadline is Aug. 27. Seating inside O’Keefe Gymnasium is general admission.
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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