#19 Georgia Tech Volleyball barely gets past Notre Dame 3-2

Tech’s first ACC win of 2024 does not come easy

Desperately needing a conference win after an 0-2 start last weekend, Georgia Tech Volleyball pulled off a nailbiter in Notre Dame, winning 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-17, 15-13) for their second five set match win of the season (2-1 in such games), moving to 9-3 and remaining undefeated in road matches. Tech has now won the last three matches in the all-time series against Notre Dame, leading 10-6 overall dating back to the first match in 1994.

Tech had a level compliment of attacking contribution from Tamara Otene, Bianca Bertolino, and Larissa Mendes, all but Otene with 16 kills (14 for her), who was also one dig away from joning Bertolino and Mendes with double-doubles.

The Jackets were coming off their first ever home six set losing streak after getting swept by #23 SMU and #1 Pitt last weekend, and the winless streak reached seven after the first set of this match, of the longest in Michelle Collier’s tenure as Tech’s head coach. Outside of a win, a return to normal Tech Volleyball form was badly needed.

Statistically, they did not get all the way there, hitting .199 as a team to Notre Dame’s .211, but did hit nine aces and outdug Notre Dame 80-60, including 17 from Bertolino, the most she’s had since getting 20 in the season opener against UCLA. If anything, the consistent play from Bertolino/Mendes/Otene never put Tech in a situation where they never were out of the match.

Morgan Gaerte and Sydney Palazzolo gave Tech the most trouble, hitting 18 and 15 kills respectively. Anna Bjork was the only player in the game to hit .300 or better, but only landed eight kills.

How it happened

Set 1

Tech started relatively slow going down 4-1 with some bad serve receives, allowing Notre Dame to target Sofia Velez in system. A quick rally made it 4-4 where the back and forth went to 8-8 in part due to Tech attack errors. Those errors started a five point Notre Dame run that put them up 11-8. Tech slowly crawled back with aces by Velez and Bertolino, the latter tying it at 13-13. A couple confused points for Tech let the Irish grab a 17-14 lead. There, Mendes his a rocket of kill and followed it up with an ace as part of a three point run, which on the point that tied it at 17 saw Luanna Emiliano accidentally land on a Notre Dame player’s foot at the net, causing her right ankle to roll. She came out of the game with Ashlyn Goolsby and Leia Harper coming in to run a 6-2 system while addressing Emiliano’s injury.

Pierce connected on the second point with Goolsby to make it 18-18, but Notre Dame then won the next four points, burning both of Georgia Tech’s timeouts in the process. Coming out of the second timeout, Tech went on a three point run powered by two great Velez serves to force Notre Dame’s first timeout up 22-21. Emiliano did come back in after with a taped up ankle, but Notre Dame was able to take the set 25-22.

Set 2 (ND 1-0)

Tech still couldn’t find a breakaway from Notre Dame early in the second, but neither team could grow a gap of any kind over the first 20 points. The Irish were able to side out immediately the first two times Bertolino served, but offensively Tech was hitting their spots better and making better adjustments inside points than in the first set.

At 10-10, Tech got their first notable run of the game going up 14-11, a couple of those points happening without Velez on the floor. A couple points after she returned, she had a miscommunication with Otene, letting a ball drop that never should’ve touched the floor. After a Bertolino net roller shot against her body to make it 18-15, Mendes nailed a crtical kill to prevent what may have been a Notre Dame run to tie it, making it 19-17. Tech forced both of Notre Dame’s timeouts over the next four points, holding control of the set and winning 25-21.

Set 3 (1-1)

Tech had the early small leads at 1-0 and 3-2, including finally getting a point with Bertolino at the service line, but Notre Dame quickly shifted things with good offense that kept Tech regularly out of system, gaining an 8-5 lead from blocking Otene and forcing her into the net antenna on another point. From there the Irish went on a 4-2 run to take the largest lead by either team at 12-7, Notre Dame’s 12th point coming on the longest point of the match.

A rare Emiliano full swing kill came on the next point before Notre Dame’s lead grew to 17-10, where Tech called their first timeout. It was very needed as Tech went on a 7-3 run with the 6-2 rotation of Goolsby and Harper in coming from an Otene ace and generally sloppy play by the Irish. Notre Dame called timeout up 20-17, stalling Tech’s run where Lucy Trump scored a couple critical kills to take the set 25-20.

Set 4 (2-1 ND)

A Bertolino immediate service error to start the fourth thankfully wasn’t the tone setter, as Tech overcame Notre Dame’s 3-0 start with a couple clutch kills by Pierce to tie it at 6-6, starting a three point run to go up 8-6. Mendes hit a key kill to keep the Irish at bay before Tech went on a fantastic six point run to go up 16-9, easily the most consistent stretch of points Tech had all night and during which Notre Dame burned both of their timeouts. Tech called a timeout up 17-12 after Notre Dame settled back into the set with a couple in system kills.

The Irish run stopped at four before Tech countered with a three point run that included two Bertolino changeup kills and a big time Mogridge block to go up 21-15. Another three point run and then a bulldozing back row kill by Otene won it for Tech 25-17.

Set 5 (2-2)

The sides went back and forth at two points apiece to 4-4, but Notre Dame looking the better of the sides with minimal errors. With the Irish up 5-4, Collier put Laura Fischer in for Emiliano to add height at the net, immediately kickstarting a three point run for Tech to go up 7-5. Notre Dame countered immediately, winning five of the next six points and forcing a Tech timeout up 10-8.

Notre Dame was able to get to 12-9 on a bad Velez service error, but she redemeed herself three points later to save a run by Tech with a diving dig very far back in the court to tie it at 12 before an Emiliano ace gave the Jackets a 13-12 lead and forced Notre Dame’s last timeout of the set. Lucy Trump gave Tech one last scare out of the timeout to tie it at 13-13 before Larissa Mendes’ final kill of the night gave Tech a 14-13 lead. Tech clinched it from a Notre Dame net violation on the final point. Notre Dame did challenge the call and it stood, giving Tech a 15-13 set win.

Stats & Game Leaders

Stats via Notre Dame

Game Leaders

Kills: Morgan Gaerte (ND) – 18

Assists: Luanna Emiliano (GT) – 42

Digs: Bianca Bertolino (GT)/Hattie Monson (ND) – 17

Points: Larissa Mendes (GT) – 20

Hit % (min. 10 attempts): Anna Bjork (ND) – .300

Blocks: Grace Langer (ND) – 5

Takeaways

Velez: For how well Tech’s non-conference run was, they got seriously punched in the mouth last weekend and absolutely had to have this win with #4 Louisville coming up on Sunday. As I mentioned in the opener, Tech is not in their best form. Teams are habitually targeting Sofia Velez on serves and attacks, and for the most part it’s paying off. She gets her fair share of digs and tonight especially had multiple hustle points that saved Tech’s butt, but unless her level of play significantly increases, the top teams are going to continue hitting at her and get points that way.

Mendes: Right now, Larissa Mendes is far and away my team most improved and MVP. She’s one of the best right side hitters in the country, ranking third in EPA behind Olivia Babcock (Pitt) and London Davis (Kansas) and regularly is atop the stat sheet offensively for Tech.

Of course, as we’ve come to expect with players with a year learning under Tech’s coaching staff, every element of her game is more consistent and are becoming threats to opponents. In system, her power is lethal. While she hasn’t been a huge gamechanger in our blocking (which is still Tech’s glaring weakness), she’s made headway there. With the end of Bertolino and Otene’s careers at Tech in sight, the leap we’re seeing from Mendes is exactly what we need.

I can’t take anymore rollercoasters!: I have watched the Mets barely beat the Braves, the Falcons somehow beat Tampa Bay in person on Matt Ryan night, and now this all in the same week. My entire life has felt like this win probability chart this week, which is maybe why I feel completely exhausted right now at only 9:30 on a Friday.

rbsdm.com

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#19 Georgia Tech Volleyball next plays Sunday, October 6 at 1:30 p.m. at #4 Louisville on ACCN.