Sept. 8, 2011
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ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech Volleyball team (4-2) returns home to host the Regency Suites Invitational this weekend at O’Keefe Gym. The Yellow Jackets will face Georgia (3-4) Friday night at 7 p.m. and then Mercer (1-6) and Samford (7-0) on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
Friday’s session has been sold out since Tuesday and tickets will not be sold at the door. Only fans who have a ticket purchased in advance or are on the pass list will be admitted to the gym on Friday. Tickets are currently available for Saturday’s second session (4:30 p.m. ad 7 p.m.). There will be no charge for the 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. matches earlier in the day.
Georgia leads the all-time series against Tech 21-12 but the Yellow Jackets have won five straight in the series and 12 of the last 13. In each of the last two years, the two in-state rivals have played five-set thrillers.
The Jackets are 19-1 all-time vs. Mercer and 5-1 against Samford. Tech’s last win against Mercer was at O’Keefe Gym in 2009 while the Jackets and Samford are playing for the first time since 1993.
Tech is led by junior Monique Mead. She leads the ACC with 5.38 kills per set and also had 3.17 digs per set to go along with 22 total blocks and nine service aces. Mead has had three straight double-doubles and four total this season. Senior Bailey Hunter has 2.07 kills per set.
Freshman Ali Santi and sophomore Kaleigh Colson have split the time as the setter. Santi has played in 15 sets and is fourth in the ACC dishing out 10.13 assists per set. She also has 2.73 digs per set and a pair of double-doubles. In 10 sets, Colson is handing out 9.70 helpers and had her first career double-double against Houston Baptist on Sept. 3.
Junior Nicki Meyer leads the team and is 10th in the ACC with 3.46 digs per set while senior Asia Stawicka leads the way with 23 total blocks, one ahead of Mead.