During the summer, the Jackets released their 2024 volleyball schedule featuring many matches against highly rated schools. The most exciting non-conference game will likely be when Tech hosts the University of Florida, an SEC powerhouse, in McCamish Pavilion on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. as part of the Georgia Tech Classic. The match against the Gators is a rematch of the 2024 round-of-32 5-set duel where Tech prevailed. Other reputable out-of-conference opponents include the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) in the GT Invitational, Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah and u[sic]ga in Athens, Ga., a display of Clean Old-Fashioned Hate.
After concluding out-of-conference play, they embark on a rigorous ACC schedule that includes matchups against familiar top ACC opponents in Pittsburgh and Louisville, as well as newly added ACC competitors in Stanford and Southern Methodist University (SMU). These new ACC opponents further deepen the already well-established pedigree of ACC volleyball and will pose new challenges to Tech.
After a successful season that ended with a round-of-16 loss to Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament, Tech volleyball has been busy bringing in new recruits and developing their returners. With the expansion of the ACC, it is vital that head coach Michelle Collier recruits both freshmen and transfers from the portal. The Jackets have brought in a total of five new players, three freshmen and two transfers, focusing mostly on defense, setting, and middle blocking with hopes that these improvements will push them to another run at NCAAs.
The first position that Collier wanted to address was finding another middle blocker/possible right side. Middle blocker Logan Wiley comes to Tech from Alpharetta, GA and was one of the most decorated recruits in history, ranked 38th in the upcoming class according to PrepDig.com. She played at the nationally ranked A5 Volleyball Club and led her team to a club national championship in 2022 while also notching USA Volleyball Club All-American Honors. Wiley began practicing with the team during the spring and will address a need at the middle blocker position.
After the graduation of Bella D’Amico last spring, Tech searched the portal to find another setter to run their typical 6-2 rotation. The Jackets decided to tap into their international recruiting pipeline to grab Brazilian standout senior Luanna Emiliano from University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). Emiliano comes to Tech with the 10th most career assists (3,569) among active NCAA players and was a great defensive setter at UTRGV. Emiliano will join returning sophomore Heloise Soares to run the 6-2 rotation, allowing more flexibility as the setters will not play the front row.
Another position that Tech wanted to address in the offseason was finding a couple of more defensive specialists. Following the graduation of star libero Paola Pimentel, Tech began searching for someone to fill the position long-term. First, Tech added freshman Lydia Zeng from Marietta, GA who is rated as a top five libero in Georgia according to PeachStateVolleyball.com. Then, Collier went to the transfer portal and landed a possible hidden gem by picking up Sofia Velez, a defensive specialist/libero from Trinity Valley CC. Velez accumulated the most digs (1523) in the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association (NJCAA)).
Other than these new additions, Tech will rely heavily upon their wealth of pin-hitting experience. With new additions and those involved with the round-of-16 run last year, expect to find Tech at the top of the ACC and making a run in the tournament.
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