Oct. 23, 2008
ATLANTA – The Yellow Jacket volleyball team tackles Tobacco Road this weekend when it travels to NC State and North Carolina for a pair of ACC matches.
Georgia Tech (14-5, 6-3 ACC) meets NC State (8-15, 3-6 ACC) Friday at 7 p.m. in Raleigh before traveling to Chapel Hill to take on the Tar Heels (11-9, 5-4 ACC) Sunday at 1 p.m.
Live stats for Friday’s match will be available by visiting the NC State live stats page, while Sunday’s match at UNC is scheduled to be aired by ACC Select. A live, online video broadcast of the match will be available for a small fee on ACC Select, but fans can also follow live stats at no cost on Ramblinwreck.com.
Georgia Tech is coming off a perfect weekend against Maryland and Boston College, the 11th and 12th place teams in this week’s ACC standings. The Yellow Jackets knocked off the Terrapins, 3-0, last Friday and swept the Eagles, 3-0, Sunday afternoon. Tech’s last three matches have all resulted in 3-0 victories for the Yellow Jackets.
NC State has lost its last three matches, while the Tar Heels dropped their last match, 3-1, to Miami after posting 3-1 and 3-2 wins over NC State and Florida State in the two matches prior. The Wolfpack currently stand 10th in the ACC standings while UNC ranks sixth.
Yellow Jacket setter Allie Niekamp had two fantastic outings a week ago, tallying a pair of double-doubles while averaging 12.50 assists, 4.83 digs, 1.67 blocks and 1.00 service aces per set to earn national accolades for the week. The Findlay, Ohio, native became the second Yellow Jacket this season to be named to CVU.com’s National Top Performer’s List, joining fellow senior Talisa Kellogg, who was honored in late September.
Niekamp (9.89 Aps/2.16 Dps/0.67 Bps/0.40 SAps) runs an offense that is ranks second in the league and 23rd in the nation in hitting percentage. The team’s top offensive threat is Kellogg, whose 3.79 kills per set leads the conference and stands 52nd in the nation, while Callie Miller (.332/2.62 Kps/1.14 Bps) ranks sixth in the league in hitting percentage and eighth in blocks. Senior libero Michelle Kandell anchors Tech’s defensive efforts and stands sixth in the league with 4.35 digs per set.
VOLLEYBALL-OWEEN, GOLD OUT ON DECK
The Yellow Jackets have a big weekend planned upon their return to Atlanta, when they host Virginia Tech for “Volleyball-oween” Friday, Oct. 31, and Virginia for “Gold Out” the following night.
On Halloween night, the team will have the entire gym decorated and hopes to have the stands filled with costumed fans as they take on the Hokies, who currently stand in a three-way tie atop the league standings. Candy will be given out to all Tech fans that enter, and there will be giveaways throughout the match for all in attendance. The following day the Yellow Jackets host Virginia in an 8 p.m. match that will follow Tech’s 3:30 p.m. football game against Florida State. All Tech fans are invited to wear their gold as the Jackets look to “Gold Out” O’Keefe Gym.
