LOUISVILLE, Ky. – No. 8 seed Georgia Tech volleyball blitzed No. 9 Seed Ohio State (25-22, 26-24, 25-21) for its third consecutive sweep of NCAA tournament play to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2003 and the second time in program history on Thursday evening in Louisville, Ky. The flawless run through the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament marks the first time the Yellow Jackets have avoided dropping a set on the way to the Elite Eight. Tech now owns 16 sweeps this season and is 13-10 all time in NCAA tournament matches.
Georgia Tech (26-5, 14-4 ACC) outmatched Ohio State (27-6, 15-5 B1G) in most major statistical categories, leading the way in kills (50-36), hitting percentage (.236-.142), assists (46-35) and digs (55-41).
Senior right-side hitter Mariana Brambilla was everywhere the Buckeyes turned as she led the match with both 18 kills at a gaudy .444 clip and 18 digs for her 11th double double this season. Senior setter Matti McKissock pulled the strings behind the Tech attack once again, tallying 42 assists.
As a unit, Georgia Tech moved into ninth in program history in kills within a season, tallying a staggering 1,645 kills this year. The Yellow Jackets move on to the Elite Eight having won 58 of their last 69 matches dating back to 2019.
How it Happened
In an otherwise tightly contested first set, Georgia Tech used a pair of runs to take the advantage. The Jackets first took six consecutive points early out to a 6-2 lead. The Buckeyes battled back incrementally to even things up and later take the lead at 17-15, but Tech responded with a five-point flurry to jump back in front, 20-17. The White and Gold would match each Ohio State blow from there, going on to take the first set, 25-22.
The Buckeyes went on an early run to get in front in the second set, slipping ahead, 10-6. Tech would answer by taking five of the next six points, evening the tally at 11 all. Four tie score lines later, Ohio State would claim three straight points to inch in front, 21-18. Georgia Tech retaliated with three points of its own shortly after to knot things up at 22 apiece, but the Buckeyes took two of the next three points for a set point opportunity at 24-23. The White and Gold refused to let the streak of sweeps go by wayside though, snatching three consecutive points once more to devastate Ohio State for a 26-24 set two win behind senior middle blocker Breland Morrissette’s solo block.
With momentum on its side, Tech kept rolling into the third set, going on an early, six-point run out to a 9-3 lead. The Buckeyes would hang tough and draw as near as within two points at a 12-10 Jacket advantage, but a final three-point burst from the White and Gold put the match out of reach for a 23-17 Tech lead. Morrissette would finish off the set once again, this time with a kill, to clinch a 25-21 third set win and third consecutive NCAA tournament sweep, punching Georgia Tech’s ticket to the Elite Eight.
Up Next
Georgia Tech will advance to the Elite Eight for a third shot at No. 1 Louisville (31-0, 18-0 ACC) on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Regional final round in Louisville, Ky. The match will be broadcast on ESPNU.
Multimedia
𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝟭𝟲
:
Ohio State
:
p.m.
: Louisville, Ky.
: Freedom Hall
: ESPN+
: https://t.co/AYKyjLFYht
: https://t.co/01XvHC63iO#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/86lW49tZJc
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
𝔹ℝ𝕀𝔾ℍ𝕋𝔼ℝ 𝕃𝕀𝔾ℍ𝕋𝕊, 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟
#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/gTbi0UI0Hh
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
We have your Thursday plans right here
#NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/bAPPjmu4au
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 9, 2021
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
Let’s do it.#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/uxkgqKziae
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
𝐋𝐄𝐓'𝐒. 𝐆𝐎.
It's the Sweet
. We don't need to hype it up any more than that. If you couldn't make it to Freedom Hall, you can't miss this one
Tune in on ESPN+
: https://t.co/AYKyjLGw71
: https://t.co/01XvHC6B8m#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/htEGUjhWQu
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
S1 |
𝗦𝗜𝗫. 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧. 𝗝𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧. 𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗦.
@mariibrambilla, @erinmoss0428 and Julia all get in on the fun
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
Here we go!!! #NCAAVB #PointTech#TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/ps9PqpmJcM
— Todd Stansbury (@GTToddStansbury) December 9, 2021
S1 | It's tooth and nail up to the media timeout. Julia slaps one straight through a Buckeye to send us to the break with the lead
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
S1 |
straight points for the Jackets including an ♠️𝐀𝐂𝐄♠️ by Julia
Timeout Buckeyes.
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
Point Tech
#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/02mB4rR9wd
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
Back (at it) like we never left
#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/tUlU8DNOjx
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
S2 | Winning the first set and taking the first
points of the second
Not mad at it
Tech leads the match
-
pic.twitter.com/zSAuHQgfvO
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
S2 | @mariibrambilla drops a couple of Brambilla
as the Jackets take
consecutive points to even things up
Tech leads the match
-
pic.twitter.com/BdlgQ1xm94
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
S2 | @mattimck_ serves one just through the net for an ♠️𝐀𝐂𝐄♠️
Hard to serve a more impossible ball to receive than that
Tech leads the match
-
pic.twitter.com/grBrKGQh6Q
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
S2 | @erinmoss0428 with a key middle kill
Heart rate
Tech leads the match
-
pic.twitter.com/MdnEzlUKHc
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
S2 | 𝘽𝙍𝘼𝙈𝘽𝙄𝙇𝙇𝘼
Tech leads the match
-
pic.twitter.com/hv3L0j6793
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
S2 | 𝗝𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗔 𝗚𝗢𝗘𝗦
Timeout Ohio State and SET POINT
Tech leads the match
-
pic.twitter.com/OEQ5EUSruE
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘. 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖. 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊. 𝐆𝐄𝐓. 𝐈𝐓. 𝐎𝐔𝐓.#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/TEFooyrSym
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
We have
sets. They don't. We like that math
#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/OagA9FLLgq
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
S3 | You can tell these girls have been listening to some Alicia Keys
That's
straight for the Jackets as they race in front
![]()
Tech leads the match
-
pic.twitter.com/FUWY45kxhf
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
https://t.co/n3GhytaI3A pic.twitter.com/vkEUV7VUx0
— Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (@GTAthletics) December 9, 2021
BRICK WALL
@ESPNPlus#NCAAVB x
@GTVolleyballpic.twitter.com/10bXciReZ2
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 9, 2021
S3 | Julia 𝙁𝙄𝙍𝙀𝙎 one through the Buckeye defense
Potentially closing in
Tech leads the match
-
pic.twitter.com/byVpFKRGJW
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙋𝙄𝙉𝙂 through the 𝓢𝓦𝓔𝓔𝓣 𝟏𝟔 just feels right
#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/6jUtk2ZkIZ
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
Grabbed a 𝓼𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓽 treat on the way to the Elite Eight
#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/2jmXiFrwKE
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
𝙎𝙒𝘼𝙍𝙈𝙀𝘿 '𝙀𝙈
(8) @GTVolleyball drops (9) Ohio State in straight sets (25-22, 26-24, 25-21) to advance to the Regional Finals to take on Louisville.#NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/38rxaoxgVk
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 9, 2021
.@GTVolleyball is headed to the 𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓
#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/dwerr1qukR
— Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (@GTAthletics) December 9, 2021
Why be Sweet when you can be ELITE
GO JACKETS
https://t.co/auhrlfkP3H
— Andy Demetra
(@AndyDemetra) December 9, 2021
Going where no @GTVolleyball team has gone since 2003. Can make more history on Saturday in the Elite
. So proud of @collmich and this incredible group of women. Congrats!
#NCAAVB#PointTech#TogetherWeSwarm#JobNotDone#WhyNotUs https://t.co/Ji8skIDT5b
— Todd Stansbury (@GTToddStansbury) December 9, 2021
E L I T E.
@GTVolleyball moves on! pic.twitter.com/jFwq3yuYGm
— The ACC (@theACC) December 9, 2021
p.s. @GTVolleyball has yet to lose a set in the NCAA Tournament #TogetherWeSwarm
pic.twitter.com/cyn21noltV
— Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (@GTAthletics) December 9, 2021
𝐖𝐇𝐘
𝐍𝐎𝐓
𝐔𝐒
For the second time ever, WE'RE HEADED TO THE 𝙀𝙇𝙄𝙏𝙀 𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏
#TogetherWeSwarm /// #PointTech pic.twitter.com/aSCSw4NaXN
— Georgia Tech Volleyball (@GTVolleyball) December 9, 2021
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