Nov. 6, 2015
THE FLATS – Sophomore middle blocker Sydney Wilson tallied 11 kills and hit .524 to lead the Georgia Tech volleyball team (16-9, 7-6 ACC) past Duke (12-11, 7-6) in straight sets in front of sellout crowd at O’Keefe Gymnasium on Friday night.
“It’s unbelievable. This place is unreal,” head coach Michelle Collier said. “You feed off the energy. There’s no better place to be 24-24 than at O’Keefe in your home gym and knowing that crowd is going to get behind you after every point. It’s a surreal environment. We really want to thank everyone that came out and supported us.”
The win snaps a 12-game losing streak to Duke and it marks the first time Georgia Tech beat the Blue Devils since a 3-1 win on Nov. 8, 2007. It was the first sweep of Duke since Nov. 5, 2004 – almost 11 years to the day.
How it Happened
The first set was tied 14-14 and from there neither team led by more than one point. Knotted 23-23, Georgia Tech scored the final two points of the set on a kill by Ashley Askin and an ace from Annika Van Gunst to clinch the win, 25-23.
The Yellow Jackets jumped out to an 8-3 lead in set two and held on for the remainder of the set. Duke pulled within one at 21-20, but the Yellow Jackets gained momentum thanks to a pair of kills by Lauren Pitz, and won the set 25-22.
Wilson hit .500 (six kills on 12 swings) in the third set to lead Georgia Tech to victory. Tied late in the game 25-25, the Yellow Jackets dug deep and scored the next two points to capture the set, 27-25, and the match.
Quote
“It was a great win for us as a team,” Collier said. “We had players step up. I think Sydney, Ashley and Lauren Pitz carried a heavy load and they executed really well and in key points. It’s great to see us developing not only individually, but as a team and put this match together tonight.
“Sydney has made huge progress even in the last couple of weeks. In how she’s hitting the ball, how focused she is on the court and how confident she is in the game. She had no errors in 21 attempts tonight. She’s making smart plays out there, and being physical and terminating, which we always knew she could do”
Quick Hits
– The match was the second sellout of the season for Georgia Tech.
– Sydney Wilson tallied 11 kills on 21 swings with no errors to hit a career-best .524. She has hit above .400 in seven matches this season. Wilson added five blocks on defense.
– Ashley Askin recorded her second double-double of the season with 11 kills and matched her career-high 13 digs.
– Rebecca Martin put down a career-best six kills on eight attempts with no errors to hit .750, while Lauren Pitz added eight kills on .412 hitting.
– Teegan Van Gunst tallied her 16th double-double of the season with 10 kills and 13 digs. Annika Van Gunst added seven kills.
What’s Next
The Yellow Jackets host Wake Forest on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN3. Fans that bring canned foods to donate to Feed The Need will receive a $2 ticket.
Follow Along
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