A different kind of test in a 2023 NCAA First Round rematch
#15 Georgia Tech Volleyball discarded of the South Alabama Jaguars 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-12) in a rematch of the 2023 NCAA Tournament First Round, extending Tech’s win streak to six games including taking down both of the teams they beat in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
This game was largely a battle of defenses through the first two sets, as in system kills were hard to come by, something that Tech was doing with ease last night against Florida. Tamara Otene finished with a game high 11 kills and four aces with Bianca Bertolino right behind her with 10 kills and three aces. No player recorded a double-double.
As noted, defense was the strong suit on both teams, and for South Alabama it was critical because that’s what kept them in the first two sets, which both went to 17-17. Tech only hit .176% in the first set and .222% in the second with 11 kills in each, but played clean enough volleyball to ensure errors didn’t put them behind either at the service line or in open play.
Tech’s big advantage was at the service line, finishing with 10 aces to the Jaguars’ two. They also had three fewer service errors. In the end, even with South Alabama keeping themselves relevant for most of two sets, this was a routine win for Tech.
Larissa Mendes and Heloise Soares did not play in this game, Mendes on rest and Soares due to jamming a couple fingers on her right hand against Florida, so she sat knowing Emiliano was more than capable of handling the load. Leia Harper started in Mendes’ place at right side.
Set 1
Tech started up 4-0 quickly behind a Liv Mogridge kill and a Bertolino ace, growing the lead to 6-1 on a DeAndra Pierce block. With Mendes not playing, Lauren Sanden was given the first sub in place of Leia Harper, but immediately allowed a serve receive error to make it 7-4 GT. The Jags did get it to 7-6 but a normal run of form for Tech grew the lead back to 12-8. From here Tech had an odd set of points where they weren’t super in system but still holding the lead, including a lefty hit from Otene on the pin that landed for a kill to make it 13-11.
South Alabama’s defense was by far the strongest aspect of anyone’s game over the next 20ish points, getting their block up quickly and covering court well to where Tech had only one normal in system kill from Harper up to a Jaguar timeout at 20-19 Jackets. Tech at this point only had 9 kills hitting under .150%. Without Mendes, Tech was religiously getting the ball to Bertolino and Otene, which set up a much more predictable offense compared to what Tech showed Florida the night before.
Tech finally got back up two at 22-20 and that was enough of a gap to keep the Jaguars at bay, winning 25-21. Critically, the Jaguars had six more attacking + service errors than Tech in the set.
Set 2 (1-0 GT)
Emiliano hit her third ace in two games to start the set before a pair of Otene kills put Tech up 5-3. Sanden hit her own ace before going into the net on her next serve, nonetheless Tech strung together a four point run after to force South Alabama’s first timeout up 10-4. Emiliano went for a rare full swing as a setter on the next point, whihc even though wasn’t bad didn’t net Tech a point.
Bertolino hit two straight tip kills to regain a six point lead at 12-6 before South Alabama went on a 10-5 run where Tech was looking like their predictable selves of the first set. They had one set just fall to the ground, Otene could not get around a block regardless of the shots she was trying, and genuinely weren’t playing at 100% vigor. Collier called timeout at 17-16 Tech, and from what we could overhear from the bench, she was asking for them to show some fight.
The Jaguars tied it at 17 out of the timeout before Tech went on a three point run with a solo Otene block and a Fischer ace, forcing South Alabama’s second timeout down 20-17. Fischer’s run at the service line lasted until 23-18, during which Otene got her first proper swing down for a kill a long time before hitting her own ace to close the set 25-19. Tech was still hitting under .200 for the match but did better at .222 in the set.
Set 3 (GT 2-0)
Otene’s run of good swings continued with a full swing and delicate tip roll shot to put Tech up 4-2. Emiliano got the kill she was looking for on a side set before Bertolino hit an angle shot carefully placed against her body in open court for a 6-3 lead. That was part of a four point run which included two Otene aces, deflating South Alabama as Tech went up 12-5 before the Jaguars’ first timeout. A three point Tech run with Bertolino’s first ace of the game prompted their second timeout soon after at 15-6 GT.
Tech kept the pressure on South Alabama’s throat from there, finishing on a 10-6 run which included Otene’s fourth ace and another surprise kill from Emiliano.
Stats & Game Leaders
Stats via Georgia Tech
Game Leaders
Kills: Tamara Otene (GT) – 11
Assists: Luanna Emiliano (GT) 33
Digs: Sofia Velez (GT) – 12
Points: Tamara Otene (GT) – 16.5
Hit % (min. 10 attempts): Abryanna Cannon (SA) – .292%
Blocks: Lillie Simons (SA)/Maradith O’Gorman (SA)/Liv Mogridge (GT) – 4
Takeaways
With how defensive focused this match was, it required Tech to outlast South Alabama instead of outhitting them like they did against Florida last night, and in a way against BYU as well. Down Mendes and Soares, they were without one of their main offensive weapons, which did in a way force Tech to have to rely more on their back row defense. This was promising to see because this was a different kind of way Tech showed they can win games. The first two sets came down to whoever broke first, and it was South Alabama both times.
Tech will run into games like this later in the season when they have to grind out points, taking multiple swings, relying on Bertolino/Velez/Otene to be solid in the backline in order to win sets. We knew they could do this, and it’s a credit to South Alabama for forcing the issue, but it’s still nice to see them win a completely different kind of match a mere 24 hours after beating a ranked team.
Georgia Tech Volleyball finishes the GT Invitational tomorrow against Alabama State at 7:30 p.m. on ACCNX.