Sept. 10, 2002
Behind a career high 11 kills and six blocks from Laura Kuhn and a career high nine kills from Blair Moon (.438 percentage), the Georgia Tech volleyball team won its fourth consecutive match over Georgia in four games, 30-32, 30-19, 30-25, 30-26. With the win, the Yellow Jackets improve to 7-1 while the Bulldogs fall to 4-5.
“We’re happy to walk away with a win over our arch-rival, Georgia,” said head coach Bond Shymansky. “Georgia is a much improved team this year and made us work hard the entire match. Once again, great play from Lynnette and Alexandra, who led the way for us. We utilized a new lineup tonight to get Blair experience and she showed what made her a top recruit in high school. Our offense was very aggressive tonight, but our execution needs to improve in order for us to competitive this coming weekend against tough opponents.”
In the first game, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 15-11 lead with Julia Petruschke getting four kills in the stretch. Georgia Tech chipped away at the lead and finally tied the score at 25-25 on an overpass kill from Lynnette Moster, one of her seven in the first game. The game went back and forth, with Tech taking the lead at 29-28 on a ballhandling error from Bulldog setter Margot Wallace. A service error and two hitting errors by the Jackets allowed Georgia to take the game, 32-30. In the game, Tech recorded seven service errors while outhitting the Bulldogs, .341 to .306.
Tech recovered quickly in the second game, building a 12-6 lead on two kills from Moster, and blocks from Alexandra Preiss and Kuhn. Tech seemed in control of the game, with the score 21-11, when three straight hitting errors by the Jackets made the score 21-15. The Jackets then sideded out with a kill from Kuhn, one of her four in the game and then built a 29-19 lead. The game then ended with two points on a kill from Preiss and a stuff block by Moster and Preiss.
In game three, neither team held more than an early three point lead. Then, behind the serving of Jennifer Randall, the Jackets scored three straight points on consecutive kills from Moster to make the score in game three, 14-9, forcing Georgia into a timeout. The Bulldogs came back with points of their own on three kills from Meagan Welch and a setter tip to close the gap to 22-26. Tech then steadied its offense, receiving kills from Sauer, Kuhn, and Moon, to take a 29-24 lead. Georgia came back with a kill of its own, but Preiss, who recorded nine kills in the game, finished the game with a punishing kill, giving Tech the game, 30-25.
The Jackets had control of game four, winning 19-12 before the Bulldogs stormed back with kills from Petruschke and hitting errors by Tech to close the margin to 23-21. Tech came right back with one of five kills from Moster in the game, a hitting error by Georgia and a stuff block by Kuhn and Moon to lead 26-21. Georgia pulled to within 26-24 on a service error by Randall and a hitting error from Moster. But, kills from Moster and Sauer enabled the Jackets to grasp the game, 30-26.
Kele Eveland recorded a season high 62 assists while Marisa Aston tallied a career high 14 digs.
Georgia Tech returns to action on Friday against No. 19 Michigan State at 5 p.m. in the South Florida Adidas Invitational in Tampa, Fla.
