THE FLATS – No. 15 Georgia Tech volleyball (5-1) dominated play against No. 13 Florida (5-2), sweeping the Gators (25-19, 25-19, 25-21) from inside McCamish Pavilion on Wednesday night. Over 4,000 Yellow Jacket fans were in the stands as Tech secured its fifth consecutive regular season non-conference victory over a Top 15 opponent.
QUICK HITS
- This was the first victory for Georgia Tech volleyball inside McCamish Pavilion in program history.
- It is the second straight Top 15 win after Tech ousted No. 14 BYU, on the road, in the previous match.
- This was the 36th Top 25 victory in program history, the 12th of the Michelle Collier era and the seventh since the beginning of last season.
- GT is 2-0 vs. Top 25 opponents this year after setting the program record for most ranked wins in a single season last year (five).
- All three members of GT’s “three-headed monster” on offense hit at least .400: Bertolino (.469), Otene (.409) and Mendes (.400).
- Senior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino delivered a classic performance – 16 kills, .469 hitting, 12 digs and an ace. Her 29th career double-double and 4th this season.
- The .469 hitting is a new season-best for Bertolino and just her sixth career .450+ hitting performance.
- Bertolino’s ace brought her into a tie with Lindsey Gray (2004-07) for the eighth most aces in program history. She is 11 shy of 7th place, held by Margaret Gales (1986-89).
- Senior outside hitter Tamara Otene continued her excellent run of form, finishing the match with 12 kills on .409 hitting, just missing out on her fifth double-double with nine digs.
- Sophomore right side hitter Larissa Mendes delivered nine kills on 20 swings with only one error (.400 hitting). Over her last two matches (at No. 14 BYU and vs. No. 13 Florida) Mendes has made 30 kills while hitting at a remarkable .439 clip.
- The Jackets were excellent from the service line, finishing with eight aces, led by three from senior setter Luanna Emiliano and two from junior middle blocker Liv Mogridge.
- Emiliano secured her second double-double as a Yellow Jacket, leading the team with 24 assists and adding in 10 digs. It was the 67 double-double of her career.
SET BY SET
Set 1 (GT 25– UF 19)
The teams traded points to open the match, tied at 5-5, with neither team winning back-to-back points until Tech took a 6-5 lead over Florida. Tech then used a 4-1 scoring run to take a 10-6 lead over the Gators. Tech kept Gator momentum at bay, taking a 13-8 lead and forcing a Florida timeout. The Gators won back-to-back points for the first time in the match, but still trailed 16-11 to the home team. Tech was first to hit 20 points and carried that momentum through the end of the set, winning 25-19. Bianca Bertolino led Tech in kills with seven.
Set 2 (GT 25 – UF 19)
Set two was the same as the first, with the squads battling back-and-forth. Tech held a 11-8 advantage thanks to back-to-back kills from Bianca Bertolino, her 12th and 13th of the night. Thanks to a 4-0 scoring run, Tech led Florida 17-11, forcing a Gator timeout. Florida came within three of Tech, trailing 17-14, but the Yellow Jackets held off building momentum, taking a 21-16 lead and forcing another Florida timeout. Tech closed out set two the same as set one, winning 25-19.
Set 3 (GT 25– UF 21)
The third set told the same story as before, with the teams tied at 4-4. Florida took their largest lead of the night leading 11-7 over Tech. The Yellow Jackets replied with points of their own, tying the set 13-13. The set was tied again at 18-18, after Tech won a long rally. The Yellow Jackets closed in on the win, leading 22-20, with Florida calling a timeout. The Yellow Jackets closed out the ranked in, defeating No. 13 Florida 3-0. Bianca Bertolino finished the night with 16 kills, with Tamara Otene recording 12. Bertolino also totaled 12 digs in the win, which led the team.
UP NEXT
Georgia Tech continues play in the Georgia Tech Classic Thursday night, hosting South Alabama at 7 p.m. before facing Alabama State Friday (Sept. 13) at 7:30 p.m. in O’Keefe Gym.
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.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on X (@GTAthletics), Facebook, Instagram or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
