Tech Drops Five-Set Thriller to UCLA – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

THE FLATS – No. 14 Georgia Tech volleyball (0-1) came up short in a five-set thriller in front of a sold-out O’Keefe Gymnasium on Friday night. The Yellow Jackets dominated the second and third sets but ultimately could not put away UCLA (1-0, falling 25-20, 11-25, 10-25, 25-19, 16-14.

QUICK HITS

• Georgia Tech fans filled O’Keefe Gym marking the 29^th consecutive sellout for the program dating back to the 2021 season.
• Senior outside hitter Tamara Otene led the Jackets with 16 kills, adding in 10 digs and a pair of aces for her 23^rd career double-double.
• Senior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino delivered her 7^th-career 20-dig performance tonight. She posted 15 kills, 20 digs and a team-high three aces for her team-leading 26^th double-double.
• Bertolino’s 15 kills brings her career total to 854, the 10^th most by any Jacket in the modern scoring era (since 2008).
• Junior middle blocker Liv Mogridge led the way at the net with six total blocks. It was her 4^th 6+ block performance as a Yellow Jacket in just 20 matches.
• Senior setter Luanna Emiliano secured her first double-double in White & Gold, finishing with a team-best 31 assists and 10 digs.
• Senior right-side Laura Fischer set a new career high with four blocks tonight, surpassing her previous best set back in 2022.
• Senior middle blocker DeAndra Pierce led the way in hitting percentage, finishing with 7 kills on .417 hitting. It was her eighth .400+ hitting match with at least 10 attacks.

SET BY SET

Set 1 (GT 20 – UCLA 25)

After both teams settled into the match, UCLA enjoyed the first scoring run, winning six straight to take a 12-6 lead. They would manage to hold onto that lead throughout the remainder of the set, hitting at a .464 clip while the Jackets worked out some kinks on defense. Bertolino led the way, making four kills and five digs, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap and Tech fell behind by a set.

Set 2 (GT 25- UCLA 11)

The Jackets adjusted their defense in the second set, and it showed. Tech was aggressive at the net throughout the set, never giving UCLA an angle for clean swings. The tone was set from the start as Mogridge and Mendes combined for a pair of blocks to help Tech jump in front, 6-1. The block party was only getting started as the Jackets imposed their will on the Bruin hitters, holding them to -.129 hitting as a team and coming up with six blocks, thanks to four from Mogridge. Bertolino sent O’Keefe into a frenzy with a pair of aces as GT rolled its way to a 14-point victory…