THE FLATS – No. 5 Georgia Tech volleyball (5-0) added its fifth straight win to remain undefeated on the the season with a sweep (25-21, 25-11, 25-9) of FIU (0-6) to conclude the GT Invitational on Sunday in O’Keefe Gymnasium. The Yellow Jackets blew by the Panthers, holding them to just 20 points combined in the second and third sets, outscoring them 75-41 in total points.
FIU was stifled offensively as a whole, posting a .000 hitting percentage throughout the match as the White and Gold tallied double digit blocks as a unit for the first time this season with 13. FIU is also the first opponent Tech has held to single digits in a set this season. The Panthers’ set output of nine in the third set marked the lowest by any Yellow Jacket opponent since Virginia was held to eight in the third set of a road sweep on Oct. 8, 2021.
Tech’s overall dominance was further displayed in head-to-head categories as the White and Gold held significant advantages in kills (33-25), hitting percentage (.295-.000), assists (29-24), aces (7-3), digs (36-26), and blocks (13-4).
Senior outside hitter Julia Bergmann led the Jackets overall with eight kills, six digs and six blocks, but junior outside hitter Tamara Otene took the team lead in kills with nine on the day at an even .500 clip while adding four digs. Sophomore outside hitter Bianca Bertolino led the squad in digs with nine, also pitching in six kills, while junior setter Bella D’Amico ran Tech’s attack with 19 assists on top of five digs. Other Yellow Jackets making defensive impacts at the net included middle blockers Erin Moss (seven blocks) and Breland Morrissette (five blocks).
How it Happened
The first set remained tight throughout aside from a pair of short bursts by the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech first used a four-point run to move ahead 12-9 early, but FIU fought back with a run of its own, evening things up at 17 all. Once the match reached a deadlock of 20 apiece, the White and Gold kicked into gear, taking five of the final six points. Morrissette and Bergmann stuffed the final Panther attack at the net, capping a 25-21 set one win.
Tech exploded into the second set, jumping out to a 12-4 lead. The early success was due in large part to a pair of four-point runs, the latter of which was fueled by kills off the hands of Bertolino and Otene. The Yellow Jackets continued to roll, taking six of the next seven points up to an 18-6 lead. The White and Gold finished off the set with a final…
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