No. 11 Georgia Tech Defeats Virginia Tech To Capture Its Fifth Straight Win
Miles Jordan
Staff Writer
September 29, 2023
Virginia Tech fell to Georgia Tech in three sets on Saturday night. (Virginia Tech Athletics)
BLACKSBURG - No. 11 Georgia Tech (12-1, 3-0) volleyball defeated Virginia Tech (10-4, 0-3) in three sets at Cassell Coliseum at 4 p.m. on Sept. 29th.
The Yellow Jackets dominated the Hokies, defeating them in three sets (25-16), (25-14) and (25-21) and handing Virginia Tech its fourth straight loss. Georgia Tech's outside hitter, Bianca Bertolino, helped score multiple five-point runs that contributed to the Hokies’ loss.
To start the second set, Bertolino served three service aces, leading to a 5-0 run for the Yellow Jackets, which caused the Hokies to call a timeout. She also was responsible for the kill that earned service back for Georgia Tech, which led to a service ace that forced set point, which the Yellow Jackets won.
This was not the only run for Georgia Tech; after trading points in the first set until 6-6, the Yellow Jackets scored five straight points, which Virginia Tech never recovered from. Their momentum kept the Hokies from making the game competitive, where anytime the Hokies would capture a point, the Yellow Jackets would respond with a two or three-point rally.
Georgia Tech finished the game with 48 kills – 20 more than the Hokies had at 28. Outside hitter Larissa Mendes led the game with 12 total kills, five more than the Hokies kill leader, Elayna Duprey. The Yellow Jackets also lead the game in digs with 42, which the Hokies struggled with early on in the first set, leading to kills by Tamara Otene and Liv Mogridge.
Otene, who led the team in digs with 12 and finished with eight kills, went down in the third set with an apparent knee injury and needed to be helped off the floor while putting minimal weight into her injured right leg.
Once Otene left the game, the Hokies went on a four-point run (23-21), causing Georgia Tech's head coach to call a timeout. The Yellow Jackets eventually went on to win the set after an attacking error by Hokies outside hitter Elayna Duprey.
The Yellow Jackets add their fifth straight win and third straight in ACC play after knocking off Clemson and NC State in the previous week. This win against the Hokies ties Georgia Tech with Louisville for first place in the ACC at 3-0 against conference opponents.
The Hokies came into this match 10-3 on the season, coming from two ACC losses in the past week against Florida State and Miami. Virginia Tech was eager to capture its first win in ACC play against the Yellow Jackets but unfortunately fell short, with the help of multiple errors by the Hokies Defense.
Virginia Tech could not find an answer to Georgia Tech's outside hitters, who combined for 28 of Georgia Tech's 48 kills. The Hokies' head coach, Marci Byers, continuously rotated her players from the bench to the court, trying to find a way to stop the Yellow Jackets' dominance.
"I am very proud of our entire team and our energy," Virginia Tech outside hitter Ava Francis said. "We still believe in ourselves and our working through things, and figuring out who can be on the court is a big part of that."
Francis finished the game with eight kills, leading her team in that category and bringing a lot of energy when the Hokies mounted their four-point comeback late in the third set.
While Virginia Tech was not in a close game for most of the match, the end of the third set showed the coaches, players, and fans that they could complete a scoring run to get back into the game.