THE FLATS – After a strong set one, Georgia Tech volleyball (7-8, 2-4 ACC) fell 3-1 on Sunday against No. 23 North Carolina (13-2, 6-0 ACC).
QUICK HITS
- Anna Fiedorowicz extended her double-digit kill streak to five matches after leading Tech’s offense with 13 kills on Sunday against North Carolina.
- Bianca Garibaldi was just behind Fiedorowicz offensively as she recorded her second most kills this season (10) for the second time, the first of which was against Bowling Green.
- Heloise Soares had her second most assists in a four-set match this season. Her 39 assists on 86 attempts were enough for a .453 assist percentage, her seventh time this season with over a .400 assist percentage.
- Soares also recorded her first ever solo block in the second set.
- Three Jackets — Soares, Garibaldi, and DeAndra Pierce — notched solo blocks against the Tar Heels, marking the third occurrence of the stat this season.
- Sofia Velez recorded her 11th game of the season with double digit digs with 14 digs, bringing her to 116 games recording 10+ digs out of 125 total collegiate games.
- Sunday afternoon’s match was the 51stconsecutive sold out match at O’Keefe Gymnasium, a streak dating back to the 2021 season.
- Tech’s loss on Sunday is the first against North Carolina in the last nine meetings.
Photos vs. No. 23 North Carolina
Photos by Danny Karnik
SET BY SET
Set 1 (GT 25 – UNC 17)
- Despite the Tar Heels going on an early run and making the opening set 7-2, the Jackets fought back and were able to not only take the lead, but establish a five-point cushion after an eight-point run, five of which were kills. Tech went on to outscore North Carolina 5-2 to easily take set one. The first set saw Tech boast a .567 attach percentage, led by DeAndra Pierce (.750), Garibaldi (.700), and Fiedorowicz (.625) all of who hit above .500 to begin the match. Soares had a strong start as well with 15 assists on 23 attempts while Velez began the match with six digs.
Set 2 (GT 22 – UNC 25)
- The second set saw both teams struggle on offense with North Carolina holding an edge in attack percentage and kills, as well as commit a number of both attacking and serving errors. Tech trailed early in set two but was able to tie the set 8-8 before North Carolina pieced together a three-point run to reclaim the lead. The Tar Heels would go on to retain their lead through the remained of the second set for the 25-22 win. Fiedorowicz once again led the Jackets this time with Mimi Mambu and Noemi Despaigne, all with three kills apiece. Soares’ set two featured eight assists, one block, and a team high four digs.
Set 3 (GT 19 – UNC 25)
- The Jackets struggled to contain the Tar Heels in set three as North Carolina carried a .593 attack percentage along with 16 kills and eight blocks. Tech was able to get a small lead early in set three, but North Carolina quickly took the lead. The Jackets kept the set close until a four-point lead extended the Tar Heels’ lead, 19-13. Despite the effort, Tech fell 25-19 in set three. Five Jackets recorded a multi-kill set with Fiedorowicz (4) and Despaigne (3) leading the offensive push. Soares was the sole Jacket to record any assists in set four (12) and held a .444 assist percentage.
Set 4 (GT 17 – UNC 25)
- The final set of the match saw Tech trail early, with North Carolina going on an almost immediate six-point run. Tech fought through to the set but was unable to pull off the comeback to keep the match alive. Although the Tar Heels held a higher attack percentage in set four, both teams finished the final set with only nine kills. Tech ultimately fell as a result of its set four attack and service errors. Freshmen Anika Groom and Sara Toth saw their first action of the match in set four with Groom recording two kills on two swings and Toth recording four assists on 10 attempts.
UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets head back out on the road this time to North Carolina to take on Wake Forest Friday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. and NC State on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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