Record day for Bianca Bertolino
O’KEEFE GYMNASIUM – The #15 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets finished off a double sweep weekend over Boston College 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-22), moving to 20-5 (12-4 ACC) on the season with four games remaining before the NCAA Tournament.
The day was highlighted by Bianca Bertolino breaking Julia Bergmann’s modern scoring ace program record, hitting her 165th ace in the second set to take the title for herself. Bertolino was also one of two Jackets with a double-double, recording 14 kills and 13 digs. Luanna Emiliano complemented her with 32 assists and 10 digs.
The 20th win of the season puts Tech at four consecutive 20+ win seasons (COVID-19 impacted 2020-21 season excluded) under head coach Michelle Collier. Tech is the 6th ACC team this season to hit that mark.
The game did have a weird uniform slate, as both Tech and Boston College came out wearing white uniforms. Tech though were in a special Veterans Day uniform with stars and stripes down the arms with the names replaced with U.S.A. on the back. According to the latest NCAA Volleyball rule book, there is no requirement for both teams to where different colored uniforms, just a recommendation that if the situation were to arise, the home team would be the team to change. With Tech in a special uniform, that was not going to happen, so we got a white on white matchup.
Set 1
Teh set was essentially tied for the first 27 points and Tech wasn’t ahead by more than two and the sides had consecutive ties all the way from 6-6 to 13-13. BC was doing a good job targeting Luanna Emiliano on first balls to get her out of the setting flow, preventing Tech from Mendes in system looks. After subbing in Larissa Mendes and Ashlyn Goolsby for a 6-2 look, Tech was able to generate their first three point lead with a good corner kill by Bertolino plus a Velez ace, prompting BC’s first timeout.
From there Tech went on a 5-2 run with blocks from both Logan Wiley and Liv Mogridge, the Eagles calling timeout down 22-16. On set point, Boston College was late to get a substitute in after the ref had whistled for Tech to serve, resulting in a weird rotation violation that happened simultaneously while Wiley was serving. She will likely be credited with an ace in the box score, but a rotation violation was the call on the court.
Stats via Georgia Tech
Set 2 (GT 1-0)
BC started the set on their first three point run of the game, but Tech countered immediately with a five point run as part of four kill in nine point stretch for Otene. Boston College called timeout at 12-7 Tech to slow the Jacket’s building momentum. That timeout did nothing, as Bertolino followed it up with her 165th career ace, breaking Julia Bergmann’s modern scoring ace record at Tech. To celebrate, she hit her 166th on the next point to force BC’s second timeout at 16-10 GT. Back to back overpass kills by Wiley put Tech squarely out of striking distance late in the set, eventually winning 25-16.
Stats via Georgia Tech
Set 3 (GT 2-0)
Like the first set, it took some time before Tech could break away, this time Boston College getting their longest run of the match at four points to take a 6-5 lead. The Eagles did a good job in the early part of the set limiting good looks for Tech, as even at a 15-11 lead developed by a service run by Bertolino, Tech was hitting under .100%. Bertolino’s second service error of the match kickstarted an Eagle run to bring them within a point at 15-14, promting Tech’s first timeout called all game. The BC run lasted six points before Tech stopped it down 17-16.
Mogridge, Pierce, and Otene all scored to tie it at 17-17, 18-18, and 19-19 before Bertolino landed a perfect tip shot in the middle of the court to give Tech the lead back at 20-19
Stats & Game Leaders
Stats via Georgia Tech
Game Leaders
Kills: Tamara Otene (GT) – 17
Assists: Luanna Emiliano (GT) – 31
Digs: Sofia Velez (GT) – 16
Points: Bianca Bertolino (GT) – 18
Hit % (min. 10 attempts): Anna Herrington (BC) – .571%
Blocks: Cornelia Roach (BC) – 5
Tech has only one home game remaining on November 27 against #7 Stanford, the afternoon before Thanksgiving. The Jackets will make a Florida swing next weekend to face Florida State and Miami, both of whom are projected to either make the NCAA Tournament or are on the bubble.
The season finale will be at #1 Pitt on the 30th, which does not bode well for Tech’s chances to climb in the standings as on paper, they should go 2-2 in these final four games. Recent history has also not been kind to Tech against Miami, so getting a win there at worst will come as a great relief to finally knock them off after they have been a thorn in our NCAA Tournament resume side.
Check in with us when the next Scions of the Southland podcast episode drops, as we’ll dig into where we sit after the weekend’s results as to our chances of hosting NCAA Tournament games and who all might get in our way or even overtake us as we head into the toughest pair of games we’ll have all year.