ATLANTA (October 2) – The Georgia Tech volleyball team (12-4, 3-1) carries a three-match win streak into a key Atlantic Coast Conference road swing as the Jackets will face Wake Forest (10-3, 2-1) Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Reynolds Gym, followed by an October 6 match (7 p.m.) at Duke (12-4, 2-1) in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
| Kyleen Bell |
“I was happy we could win two matches at home last week over Virginia and Maryland,” said head coach Shelton Collier.
“But, this season we are going to have a much easier time winning at home than on the road. For us to show that we are a team that can really be a factor in winning the league, we have to win our away matches as well as our home matches.”
Georgia Tech and Wake Forest meet for the first time this season, and for the 14th time in history. The Jackets hold a slim-lead in the series, 7-6, but the Demon Deacons won two matches against Tech last season, including a 3-0 win in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals.
The Blue Devils have dominated the series with the Jackets, 22-9, but last season the two teams split their matches, with each team winning on their opponents’ home court. Duke has been strong in conference play, losing only at Virginia in five sets.
“There is no question that Wake Forest and Duke will be two of our most difficult matches on the road this season,” said Collier. “Our team is going to have to play well, and play well for an extended period of time to be able to win those matches.”
| Kele Eveland |
Kyleen Bell (Rocklin, Calif.) continues to lead the Jackets in several categories, including kills (236), hitting percentage (.370) and blocks (61). Last weekend, the middle blocker averaged 5.25 kills per game, 3.88 digs per game, and a .514 hitting percentage. For her performance, Bell was named the ACC Player of the Week, the first such honor of her career.
In addition to Bell, the play of Eida Mabry (Divjake, Albania) has improved over the past two weeks. In her last three matches, the rightside hitter has posted 5.08 kills per game, including 22 kills against NC State, has a hitting percentage of .490, and has tallied 14 blocks. The junior currently ranks third on the team in kills with 190 and leads the team in aces with 20.
The offense continues to be run by freshman Kele Eveland (Grand Rapids, Mich.) who is averaging a conference-leading 12.98 assists per game. Eveland also is second on the team in digs with 141. The setter earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors, for the second time this season after recording 15 assists per game and 3.75 digs per game last weekend.
“I am pleased that our team is 3-1 in the league at this point,” said Collier. “Now our test is to prove that our team can win on the road and see if we are going to be contenders for the ACC crown in November.”
