Sept. 16, 2002
After defeating two nationally ranked teams last weekend, the Georgia Tech volleyball team (9-2) travels to Georgia State Tuesday to take on the Panthers (4-3) and Chattanooga (3-6) in a doubleheader in the Georgia State Sports Arena.
The Jackets will face Georgia State at 4 p.m. Tech holds a 27-3 record against Georgia State. Tech has won the last three meetings with the Panthers, including a 3-0 victory in 2000 in O’Keefe Gymnasium. At 6 p.m., the Jackets will take on Chattanooga. Tech holds the series edge with the Lady Mocs, 7-3, including wins in the last five meetings.
“In our matches tomorrow, we really want to continue to work on our team’s ability to execute offensively,” said head coach Bond Shymansky. “Our passing focus needs to be maintained throughout a match which would then allow us to execute our offense. Obviously, we want to win but more importantly we want to make sure that our system is working the way that we want it to.”
Off to its best start since the 1996 season, the Jackets have defeated three nationally ranked teams this season, including wins over No. 19 Michigan State and No. 24 Kansas State last weekend. In addition, the Jackets defeated No. 22 Louisville in three games during the second week of the season.
The Jackets are led by all-tournament selections Lynnette Moster (Liberty, Ind.) and Alexandra Preiss (Berlin, Germany). Moster, the Most Valuable Player of last weekend’s South Florida Adidas Invitational and this week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week, leads the team in kills (220), kills per game (5.37) and digs (132) and is second on the team in hitting percentage (.321). Preiss, also an all-tournament selection last weekend, leads the team in hitting percentage (.359) and blocks per game (1.29).
“We are really excited as a staff with our recent success,” said Shymansky. “Last weekend was great for us in beating nationally ranked Michigan State and Kansas State. We have now beaten three of the four ranked teams that we have played and we feel like we are a national calibre team. Now we need to keep driving ourselves and pushing ourselves to maintain our consistent level of play.”
