THE FLATS — No. 10 Georgia Tech volleyball (9-1) cruised by San Diego (4-6) for its sixth sweep of the season (28-26, 25-21, 25-15) on Sunday afternoon in O’Keefe Gymnasium. After pulling out the first set in extra points and trailing early in the second set, the Yellow Jackets erupted to clinch set two and close out the match with nine straight points in set three.
The White and Gold secured the match with stronger offensive efficiency, owning advantages in kills (47-34), hitting percentage (.287-.114) and assists (40-31).
Graduate middle blocker Afedo Manyang made the most of her attack opportunities as she continued to produce at a high rate, tallying eight kills at a team-best .700 clip. Freshman right-side hitter Larissa Mendes posted a squad high 12 kills on the offensive end, and senior setter Bella D’Amico primarily orchestrated the attack with 25 assists.
Senior libero Paola Pimentel posted the top defensive mark with 15 digs, and sophomore middle blocker Liv Mogridge led the team with three blocks (one solo, two assisted). Mogridge also totaled eight kills while junior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino came away with a well-rounded performance of her own by way of seven kills, 10 digs and a pair of blocks (one solo, one assisted). Junior outside hitter Leia Harper made an impact in her first career start as well, sparking the attack with seven kills.
How it Happened
Georgia Tech created initial separation in set one with a pair of four-point runs to move ahead initially, 12-8, and further the gap, 18-11. San Diego would climb back within a point to trail 19-18, keeping close to force extra points. The Yellow Jackets reached four set-point opportunities, ultimately clinching the first set on the fourth chance, 28-26, thanks to a Bertolino block.
The Toreros sped out to a 16-11 advantage in set two, but the White and Gold drew back within one using a four-point burst. For the remainder of the match, the Tech would take two points for every one earned by San Diego, closing out the second set on a 10-5 run for a 25-21 set triumph.
The visitors hung in early in set three, answering each three-point stretch by the Jackets by pulling back within one. As such, the White and Gold’s initial 8-4 and 12-8 advantages were withered down as the two sides were separated by a point at a 16-15 Georgia Tech lead. From there, the Yellow Jackets unleashed nine consecutive points to clinch the set by double digits, 25-15, and the match sweep.
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