THE FLATS – No. 7 Georgia Tech volleyball (6-2) dropped a 3-1 contest to No. 24 Arkansas (8-1) on Thursday night in Barnhill Arena. In Tech’s third straight ranked matchup, senior outside hitter Julia Bergmann piled up 20 or more kills for the third consecutive showdown as she’s up to five such occasions on the year.
On the night, Bergmann fueled the Jackets once more with 22 kills and 11 digs for her third double double of the season. Sophomore outside hitter Bianca Bertolino also showcased her versatility, finishing with nine kills and 17 digs. Other leaders for the White and Gold included senior libero Paola Pimentel with 20 digs and junior setter Bella D’Amico with 42 assists, both nearly reaching career highs.
How it Happened
Arkansas burst out of the gates, going on an early, four-point run to take an 8-3 lead. The Razorbacks continued to press forward from there as a few ensuing bursts of three propelled Arkansas to a double-digit lead, 20-10. Despite Georgia Tech showing life late in the set by taking five of six points to trim the deficit to seven, the home squad closed out the first set for a 25-16 win.
The second set remained tight in the early goings, but the Yellow Jackets found a spark to build an advantage. Trailing 5-4, Tech erupted, taking 13 of the next 16 points to catapult well in front, 17-8. The Razorbacks didn’t go down without a fight, however, coming right back claiming 11 points in the next 14 chances to draw within one, behind 20-19. The two sides each traded a pair of blows up to a 23-21 Jacket lead before going back-and-forth for the final four points. A service error by Arkansas would secure a 25-23 second set win for the White and Gold.
The third set was another battle as Georgia Tech took its first lead at 6-5 after a three-point burst. The Yellow Jackets pushed on up to a 12-10 lead following another run of three and continued to pace forward out to a 19-17 advantage. An Arkansas kill shortly after sparked momentum for the Razorbacks as they rattled off six straight points to turn the tide for a 23-19 lead of their own. Arkansas finished off the set for a 25-22 victory to take a 2-1 match advantage.
The Razorbacks rode their momentum into the fourth set, jumping out to an 8-3 advantage. The White and Gold would draw within four trailing 14-10 and rally late taking five of six points to reach the same deficit behind 23-19, but Arkansas finished things off for the final time, claiming a 25-20 set win and 3-1 match…
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