LEXINGTON, Ky. – Georgia Tech volleyball’s senior outside hitter Julia Bergmann, graduate middle blocker Breland Morrissette and sophomore outside hitter Bianca Bertolino have each been selected to receive AVCA East Coast All-Region honors as voted on by the region’s head coaches, the AVCA announced on Tuesday. Bergmann and Morrissette were both named all-region, while Bertolino earned an honorable mention recognition.
Bergmann fronted the trio with her fourth all-region honor in as many years, the most ever by a single Yellow Jacket. On top of being recognized in each of her years on The Flats, the decorated Jacket also owns the program’s only regional player of the year (2021) and freshman of the year (2019) honors. Expanding her trophy case, Bergmann recently earned her sixth yearly ACC honor, picking up her third consecutive First Team All-ACC recognition on top of last season’s ACC Player of the Year crown as well as ACC Freshman of the Year and ACC All-Freshman awards during her first collegiate season. The vaunted outside hitter racked up a multitude of weekly awards throughout the season, including a GameChanger Division I National Player of the Week from the AVCA for the second time in her career on top of four ACC Player of the Week recognitions to match her season total a year ago. Bergmann has made waves in Tech’s record books as she finished sixth in program history in career kills (1,731), seventh all time in single season kills (538) and is fifth on The Flats in career aces (164). Now one of five Yellow Jacket members of the 1,500 kill/1,000 dig club, the “Ger-zilian” also tied the program record in single-match kills with 38 in a reverse sweep of Florida State this season and is the only Yellow Jacket with four matches of 30 or more kills in a career. Bergmann led the ACC by a wide margin on the attack, ranking ninth in the NCAA in kills (538) and 10th in points (603.5) while placing fourth in the nation in both kills per set (5.22) and points per set (5.86) in her final season.
Morrissette caps her Yellow Jacket career with her most accomplished season yet, earning her first all-region award. After progressing each season, the fifth-year middle blocker also recently earned First Team All-ACC honors for the first time in her career. The Birmingham, Ala., native owns two yearly ACC honors after being recognized as Second Team All-ACC a season ago. The staunch middle blocker capitalized on her super senior season by leading the league and placing fourth in the nation in hitting percentage at a .434 clip. Owning over a block per set, Tech’s presence in the middle achieved 100 blocks in a season in back-to-back years. Leading the team in both hitting percentage and total blocks (109), Morrissette’s season has been highlighted by an Ole Miss Invitational all-tournament team bid and a career performance against No. 7 Pitt in which she obliterated her previous career high of 11 kills with 20 at a staggering .581 clip on top of two aces. Morrissette not only shined offensively in that match, but had a career night on defense, racking up a personal-best nine blocks (three solo, six assisted).
Following a stellar freshman season, Bertolino has been steady as a sophomore to earn her first career regional recognition as an honorable mention. The Argentinian outside hitter continues to accumulate awards as she was recently named Second Team All-ACC on top of her ACC All-Freshman Team selection a season ago. Bertolino has contributed across the board with her balanced style of play, making good on her Preseason All-ACC selection by ranking second on the squad in digs with 356 on top of posting 201 kills, 29 aces and 37 total blocks. The developing Jacket was named to the GT Invitational All-Tournament Team early in the season before setting and tying her career high of 24 digs in premier matchups, once against No. 5 Louisville and again facing No. 7 Pitt.
In another season for the record books, Georgia Tech concluded its 2022 slate at 21-8 overall and 13-5 in ACC play after advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Yellow Jackets reached that mark for the third consecutive season, joining the White and Gold of 2002-04 as the only squads to do so in succession in program history.
Competitive Drive Initiative
In a unified endeavor, Georgia Tech, the Georgia Tech Foundation, Georgia Tech athletics and the Alexander-Tharpe Fund have come together to accelerate funding for student-athlete scholarships with the launch of the Competitive Drive Initiative. The initiative kicks off with the Accelerate GT Match Program, where any new gift to the A-T Fund’s Athletic Scholarship Fund made through Dec. 31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Georgia Tech Foundation, up to $2.5 million. Should Accelerate GT reach its $2.5 million fundraising goal, the matching gift would result in a $5 million impact for Georgia Tech athletics. To learn more and to contribute online, visit atfund.org/accelerate.
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