Sept. 8, 2006
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Sophomore Talisa Kellogg recorded a match-high 14 kills, junior Lindsey Gray tallied 12 kills, four service aces and six digs and sophomore Allie Niekamp had 43 assists, eight digs and six kills to lead Georgia Tech (4-1) past Villanova (1-6), 3-1 (31-29, 30-23, 16-30, 30-26) at the Kentucky Volleyball Classic on Friday morning.
Sophomore Callie Miller added 10 kills and two blocks for the Jackets, while Ulrike Stegemann tallied 11 kills in the match. Tech hit .261 as a team in the four-game victory.
The Yellow Jackets took the opening game, 31-29. Tech and the Wildcats were tied at 25-25, but the Jackets scored the next three points to take a 28-25 advantage. VU would storm back with three of the next four points and saved one game point to tie the game at 29-29. Tech would then score the next two points on a Miller kill and a misplay by the Wildcats to jump out in front of the match 1-0.
In game two with Tech in front 25-23, the Jackets’ Niekamp recorded two aces and Stegemann had a pair of kills as Tech rattled off the final five points on Niekamp’s serve to win 30-23.
The Wildcats jumped out in front of the Yellow Jackets in game three, taking a 12-5 advantage and forcing Tech’s first timeout of the match. Villanova would continue the pressure and score five of the next six points to take their biggest lead of the match, 17-6. The Jackets tried to mount a comeback, but the deficit proved to be too much as the Wildcats hit .455 for game three as the Jackets fell 30-16.
After exchanging points and the score tied at 6-6 in game four, the Rambling Wreck rallied off six consecutive kills to take a 12-6 advantage. VU made a charge and the two teams battled back and forth with four lead changes and ties over the final 10 points, but Tech would string three points together to take a 28-25 advantage and would go on to win the game 30-26.
The Jackets will face Toledo later this afternoon at 5 p.m. The game can be followed on www.ramblinwreck.com.
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