Sept. 14, 2011
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech Volleyball team (6-3) will participate in its final tournament this week when it makes the short trip up I-85 for the Clemson Classic. The Yellow Jackets will face Furman (7-3) on Thursday night and then Clemson (7-3) in the ACC opener Friday night. Both matches begin at 7 p.m.
Tech is 8-7 all-time against Furman and knocked off the Paladins in the last meeting 3-1 in 2008. Against Clemson, the Jackets are 23-29. The last five matches between these two schools have gone to five sets and they split the season series last year with each squad winning on its home floor.
Junior Monique Mead enters play this week leading the nation in kills (5.38/set) and points (6.1/set). She has four double-doubles this season, six matches with at least 20 kills and has recorded double figure kills in each match this season. Mead is also averaging 2.82 digs per set and 0.82 blocks.
Mead just recorded her 1,000th career kill in the Sept. 9 win over Georgia.
Tech is coming off a 2-1 weekend at the Regency Suites Invitational at O’Keefe Gym. The Yellow Jackets beat Georgia (3-0) and Mercer (3-0) but fell to Samford (3-1) in the championship match. The win over the Bulldogs was Tech’s sixth straight against its in-state foe and 13th in the last 14 outings. It was also the first shutout of UGA since the 2004 NCAA Tournament first round.
Freshman Ali Santi is second in the ACC dishing out 10.65 assists per set and is also averaging 2.55 digs per set. She has a pair of double-doubles this season. Sophomore Kaleigh Colson has also seen time as the setter and is handing out 9.93 assists to go along with 2.07 digs.
Sophomore Jennifer Percy is second on the team with 2.03 kills per set while junior Nicki Meyer leads the way with 3.09 digs. Senior Asia Stawicka leads the team and is sixth in the ACC in blocking at 1.09 a set.
