THE FLATS – No. 5 Georgia Tech volleyball (5-0) added its fifth straight win to remain undefeated on the the season with a sweep (25-21, 25-11, 25-9) of FIU (0-6) to conclude the GT Invitational on Sunday in O’Keefe Gymnasium. The Yellow Jackets blew by the Panthers, holding them to just 20 points combined in the second and third sets, outscoring them 75-41 in total points.
FIU was stifled offensively as a whole, posting a .000 hitting percentage throughout the match as the White and Gold tallied double digit blocks as a unit for the first time this season with 13. FIU is also the first opponent Tech has held to single digits in a set this season. The Panthers’ set output of nine in the third set marked the lowest by any Yellow Jacket opponent since Virginia was held to eight in the third set of a road sweep on Oct. 8, 2021.
Tech’s overall dominance was further displayed in head-to-head categories as the White and Gold held significant advantages in kills (33-25), hitting percentage (.295-.000), assists (29-24), aces (7-3), digs (36-26), and blocks (13-4).
Senior outside hitter Julia Bergmann led the Jackets overall with eight kills, six digs and six blocks, but junior outside hitter Tamara Otene took the team lead in kills with nine on the day at an even .500 clip while adding four digs. Sophomore outside hitter Bianca Bertolino led the squad in digs with nine, also pitching in six kills, while junior setter Bella D’Amico ran Tech’s attack with 19 assists on top of five digs. Other Yellow Jackets making defensive impacts at the net included middle blockers Erin Moss (seven blocks) and Breland Morrissette (five blocks).
Volleyball vs. FIU
September 4, 2022
How it Happened
The first set remained tight throughout aside from a pair of short bursts by the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech first used a four-point run to move ahead 12-9 early, but FIU fought back with a run of its own, evening things up at 17 all. Once the match reached a deadlock of 20 apiece, the White and Gold kicked into gear, taking five of the final six points. Morrissette and Bergmann stuffed the final Panther attack at the net, capping a 25-21 set one win.
Tech exploded into the second set, jumping out to a 12-4 lead. The early success was due in large part to a pair of four-point runs, the latter of which was fueled by kills off the hands of Bertolino and Otene. The Yellow Jackets continued to roll, taking six of the next seven points up to an 18-6 lead. The White and Gold finished off the set with a final three-point burst, outmatching FIU for a 25-11 set two victory behind back-to-back Bertolino kills to close things out.
The third set was much of the same as the Jackets reached five before the Panthers picked up a point. Georgia Tech added four more to move ahead 9-1 and another five straight soon after as three consecutive aces by D’Amico propelled the White and Gold out to a 14-2 lead. One final stretch that saw the Yellow Jackets take eight of nine points, putting the set well out of reach at 23-5. Tech secured a 25-9 set four win and match sweep with a Moss kill from the middle to wrap things up.
GT Invitational Awards
Champions
Georgia Tech (3-0)
MVP
Julia Bergmann – 47 kills, .392 hitting percentage, 23 digs, nine blocks, five aces
All-Tournament Team
Julia Bergmann – 47 kills, .392 hitting percentage, 23 digs, nine blocks, five aces
Bianca Bertolino – 19 kills, 42 digs, seven aces
Erin Moss – 19 kills, .342 hitting percentage, 12 blocks
Stats represent tournament competition only
Up Next
The Jackets will host their second straight home tournament, the Georgia Tech Classic, welcoming a pair of top 10 opponents to O’Keefe Gymnasium in No. 7 BYU (5-1) on Thursday at 7 p.m. and No. 8 Ohio State (1-3) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Multimedia
🏐𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐃𝐀𝐘🏐
🆚: FIU
⏰: 2⃣ p.m. ET
📍: ATL
🏟️: O'Keefe Gymnasium
📺: https://t.co/zYvYsfvfZu
📈: https://t.co/gm96kfqp0r
🎟️: https://t.co/IsV2tJCXTR#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/hFUU6MohUL— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
The Jacket Family always shows out 💛
Come swarm O'Keefe one more time at 2 p.m. ❕🐝#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/IoRr0jTldi
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
It takes a village 💛🐝 https://t.co/NEhpQUG27t
— Michelle Collier (@collmich) September 4, 2022
Wrapping up the weekend ⏳
📺: Tune in on ACC Network Extra
💻: https://t.co/zYvYsfdEAU
📈: https://t.co/gm96kfHZRZ#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/siDf5meVww— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
No. Chance. 🙅♀️
Tune in on ACC Network Extra
📺: https://t.co/zYvYsfdEAU#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/bbu9YqYUhF— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
Mood after 4⃣ straight Jacket points 🕺
😾9⃣
🐝1⃣2⃣ pic.twitter.com/jIOxVx8z1e— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
The usual 🤷♀️
Tune in on ACC Network Extra
📺: https://t.co/zYvYsfdEAU#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/wRJKHuHzJF— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
If you're trying to attack, you should probably stay away from @erinmoss0428. Just a suggestion 👌
😾2⃣0⃣
🐝2⃣3⃣ pic.twitter.com/2kxqFLuHSU— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
Good kitties 😊#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/I23gbjgQh6
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
Hope you didn't take a bathroom break between sets bc we're already up 8⃣-2⃣ 😅
Tech leads the match 1⃣-0⃣#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/O9VBYuqQFD
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
🔥𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗦 𝗘𝗡 𝗙𝗨𝗘𝗚𝗢🔥
The Jackets take 1⃣2⃣ of the last 1⃣5⃣ points to lead 2⃣0⃣-7⃣ 🥵#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/ULRBM5dBwC
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
No cat naps over here 😮💨#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/c1Bs3122gH
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
The social person can barely keep up 🫠
The first 🖐️ points of the third set go to… well, you know 😉
Tech leads the match 2⃣-0⃣ pic.twitter.com/fZHbzoPQAb
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
So it's 1⃣4⃣-2⃣…
Do we really need to say anything else❔Go Jackets❔
Tech leads the match 2⃣-0⃣ pic.twitter.com/gkE0khPTgr
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
Third set update:
Us – a lot
Them – not as muchSaid? Said. pic.twitter.com/sHjBaxNjwv
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
ℂ𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕕 😿#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/8QmKwiVKaH
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
— Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (@GTAthletics) September 4, 2022
𝟓-𝟎#TogetherWeSwarm x #PointTech pic.twitter.com/oAGCVPhn7H
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) September 4, 2022
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