THE FLATS – No. 14 Georgia Tech volleyball (0-1) came up short in a five-set thriller in front of a sold-out O’Keefe Gymnasium on Friday night. The Yellow Jackets dominated the second and third sets but ultimately could not put away UCLA (1-0, falling 25-20, 11-25, 10-25, 25-19, 16-14.
QUICK HITS
- Georgia Tech fans filled O’Keefe Gym marking the 29th consecutive sellout for the program dating back to the 2021 season.
- Senior outside hitter Tamara Otene led the Jackets with 16 kills, adding in 10 digs and a pair of aces for her 23rd career double-double.
- Senior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino delivered her 7th-career 20-dig performance tonight. She posted 15 kills, 20 digs and a team-high three aces for her team-leading 26th double-double.
- Bertolino’s 15 kills brings her career total to 854, the 10th most by any Jacket in the modern scoring era (since 2008).
- Junior middle blocker Liv Mogridge led the way at the net with six total blocks. It was her 4th 6+ block performance as a Yellow Jacket in just 20 matches.
- Senior setter Luanna Emiliano secured her first double-double in White & Gold, finishing with a team-best 31 assists and 10 digs.
- Senior right-side Laura Fischer set a new career high with four blocks tonight, surpassing her previous best set back in 2022.
- Senior middle blocker DeAndra Pierce led the way in hitting percentage, finishing with 7 kills on .417 hitting. It was her eighth .400+ hitting match with at least 10 attacks.
GT vs. UCLA (Aug. 30, 2024)
Photos by Danny Karnik
SET BY SET
Set 1 (GT 20 – UCLA 25)
After both teams settled into the match, UCLA enjoyed the first scoring run, winning six straight to take a 12-6 lead. They would manage to hold onto that lead throughout the remainder of the set, hitting at a .464 clip while the Jackets worked out some kinks on defense. Bertolino led the way, making four kills and five digs, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap and Tech fell behind by a set.
Set 2 (GT 25- UCLA 11)
The Jackets adjusted their defense in the second set, and it showed. Tech was aggressive at the net throughout the set, never giving UCLA an angle for clean swings. The tone was set from the start as Mogridge and Mendes combined for a pair of blocks to help Tech jump in front, 6-1. The block party was only getting started as the Jackets imposed their will on the Bruin hitters, holding them to -.129 hitting as a team and coming up with six blocks, thanks to four from Mogridge. Bertolino sent O’Keefe into a frenzy with a pair of aces as GT rolled its way to a 14-point victory in the second set.
Set 3 (GT 25 – UCLA 10)
The story stayed the same in the third, with Tech jumping in front, 10-2, and never allowing UCLA a chance to respond. This time, it was the offense that showed out as Otene went off for five kills to lead the Tech attack to a .500 hitting display in the set. Bertolino was all over the back row, posting seven digs along with three kills.
Set 4 (GT 19 – UCLA 25)
UCLA got the hot start in the fourth, going in front, 8-3. Tech would respond, cutting the lead to just 9-7, but UCLA went on another run and claimed the fourth by six points. Heloise Soares made her presence felt on defense, leading the team with five digs alongside libero Sofia Velez.
Set 5 (GT 14 – UCLA 16)
Both sides traded blows in a riveting fifth set. UCLA jumped in front by a handful of points a number of times, only for Tech to claw back and tie things up. The Bruins had claimed an 11-8 lead, only for GT to force a fifth tie score, 14-14. Unfortunately for the Jackets, UCLA would win the next point and on match point, the Tech setter brushed up against the net, triggering a violation and the end of the match. Otene was outstanding in the fifth, posting four kills on .667 hitting. Emiliano was digging everything that got over the net, finishing with six in the set, one more than she had in the previous four combined.
UP NEXT
The Jackets continue the GT Invitational on Sunday against New Mexico State. First serve is set for 4 p.m. and the match will be streamed lived on ACCNX.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and 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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