Sept. 27, 2008
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Taylor Parrish hit .593 with 18 kills to power Virginia Tech (12-2, 3-0 ACC) to a 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 26-24) sweep of Georgia Tech (10-3, 2-1 ACC) Saturday night at Cassell Coliseum, helping the Hokies remain undefeated in ACC play this season.
The junior outside hitter committed just two errors on 27 swings and the Hokies hit .440 as a team to pull off the sweep of the Yellow Jackets.
Talisa Kellogg powered Georgia Tech’s offense with 18 kills while hitting .400 against the Hokies. Mary Ashley Tippins ran an efficient Yellow Jacket offense that hit .308 with 38 assists, but Tech just couldn’t stop the Hokie hitters on the night.
Joining Parrish in double figures against the Jackets was middle hitter Betsy Horowitz, who hit .750 with 12 kills and no errors on 16 attempts.
One night after logging 80 digs and 12.5 blocks against Virginia, Georgia Tech managed only 25 digs and just four blocks against the Hokies.
The Hokies scored seven unanswered points halfway through the first set and finished off the frame on a 5-0 run to win, 25-23. The Yellow Jackets hit .296 with 12 kills while posting four blocks in the frame, but the Hokies’ duo of Horowitz and Parrish combined for 11 of Virginia Tech’s 18 kills to power the home team to the two-point win in the opening set.
The Jackets were unable to stop Parrish in the second set, as the Hokie outside hitter converted on six of her eight attempts to lead the Virginia Tech attack. Tech had no answer for the Virginia Tech offense, which hit .536 with 17 kills and only two errors in the frame. After Tech tied the set at 21-21, the 12th tie score in the set, Virginia Tech won four of the last five points to win, 25-22.
Tech won nine of the first 11 points in the third set, but the Hokies steadily climbed back in the set with a 5-0 run early-on and a late 4-0 run to take a 17-15 lead. With the set tied at 24-24, Virginia Tech received a kill from setter Erin Leaser and the benefit of an attacking error by Chrissy DeMichelis to finish off the Jackets.
The Yellow Jackets return to Atlanta to host Florida State and Miami for a pair of ACC matches next weekend. Friday’s match against the Florida State will serve as a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation as the Yellow Jackets “Dig for the Cure” against the Seminoles, and both Friday’s and Saturday’s matches begin at 7 p.m. at O’Keefe Gym.
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