Sept. 15, 2005
With a 3-3 record, the Georgia Tech volleyball team will head to Athens, Ga., to participate in its final tournament of the year this weekend. The Yellow Jackets will face Michigan (4-3) Saturday at 8 p.m. and then will take on Georgia (4-4) Sunday at 5 p.m. Both matches will be held at the Ramsey Center on the campus of the University of Georgia.
Tech opens the tournament against Michigan in a match that marks the first contest between the two teams. The Wolverines are led by Danielle Pflum who is averaging 3.23 kills and 1.86 digs per game. In addition, sophomore middle blocker Lyndsay Miller is second on the team in hitting percentage (.266) and leads the team in blocks per game (1.43).
“Michigan is another very strong team from the Big Ten that will require we play great defense and pass the ball very well,” said head coach Bond Shymansky. “They have quality leadership in their outside hitter Danielle Pflum and a fantastic middle hitter in Lyndsay Miller. They are a team that has struggled a little early just like we have, but are starting to really come together so it will be a tough battle for us.”
Sunday evening, the Yellow Jackets will face the Bulldogs in the annual meeting between the two schools. The two teams have played against one another on 27 occasions with Georgia leading the series, 20-7. However, Tech brings in a seven-match win streak into the contest, including two victories during the 2004 season.
“Georgia is not only the biggest match of the weekend, but the biggest match of the year for us,” said Shymansky. “It’s important that we retain our current win streak against them and we’ll have our hands full against their middle blocker Alexandra Oquendo and outside hitter Julia Petruschke. Those two players specifically will be extra motivated to try and take us in their own gym since they’ve never beaten us in their career.”
To date, Tech has been led by a couple of players including Talisa Kellogg, who leads the team in kills per game (3.45), Callie Miller, who leads the team in blocks per game (1.35) and Ulrike Stegemann, who is atop the team in hitting percentage (.254). In addition, Jennifer Randall is leading the team in digs per game (3.52) while Lindsey Laband is leading the team in assists per game (12.24).
“Although we are 3-3, the upside for us is that our team keeps evolving and our lineup keeps evolving to be stronger and stronger and we’re starting to see a more unified competitiveness within our starters,” said Shymansky. “People are understanding their roles and the importance of playing at their best to contribute to the team.”
Due to the Georgia Tech football game, Saturday’s match against Michigan can only be heard on webcast at www.wrek.org. Sunday’s match against the Bulldogs can be heard on WREK radio on 91.1 FM and in streaming audio over the internet. In addition, fans may watch live stats of the matches by logging onto www.ramblinwreck.com.
