Tigers put an end to volleyball's winning streak

It was going to be a tall mountain to climb, trying to beat a collegiate program that was at the pinnacle of their performance in school history. Yet that is what the Georgia Tech volleyball team was asked to do as it went into the match with 13th ranked Clemson when the Tigers visited the Jackets at O'Keefe Gymansium last Friday night. The Jackets were hopeful with a solid 2-0 start in conference play, but the Tigers were confident as they went into the match undefeated at 13-0. They also boasted the highest-ever ranking for an ACC school entering the event.

After a stunning first game, when the Jackets won 15-13, the Tigers were dominant, winning the next two games 15-6 and 15-3. Equally as impressive was their above .300 hitting percentage in those two games.

With the Yellow Jackets in a must-win situation, they found themselves down 11-4 in the fourth game, and made an enormous comeback on the Tigers. After Tech failed to convert two game points, Clemson took the match with a 19-17 win in the fourth, and consequently, took the match. The loss broke the impressive eight-game winning streak for the Jackets.

Next up for the Jackets were the North Carolina Tar Heels, when they met up last Tuesday night at O'Keefe. UNC came into the match undefeated in the ACC with a 4-0 conference record, and handed the Jackets their second straight loss, winning 3-1 (15-9, 13-15, 15-9, 15-4).

A thorn in the side of the Jackets came in the form of Carolina junior outside hitter Casey Simpson, who led the Heels' offensive attack by posting 18 kills on the night.

For Tech, sophomore Anna Nedderman played well on defense, having 10 kills and 3 blocks on the evening, and Maja Pachale posted an impressive 20 kills in the losing effort. Junior setter Courtney Adler, the transfer from the University of New Orleans, saw her first action in the ACC, and senior Amanda Medrow was also inserted into the lineup in the injured Teryl Townsend's place, who was out with a severe ankle sprain. North Carolina improved its record to 13-3 overall and 5-0 in the ACC that keeps them tied with Clemson for the lead. Surprisingly, all of the Jackets' losses have come at home this season, and their record currently stands at 12-5 overall with a 2-2 record in the ACC.

The road does not get much easier for the Jackets, who are set to face the NC State Wolfpack at 7:30 tonight at O'Keefe, and then they take on the Florida St. Seminoles on Saturday night, which also is a 7:30 start.

Head coach Shelton Collier stressed the importance of this current home-stand, explaining, "We want to position ourselves for a good seed in the ACC tournament, and for NCAA Tournament qualification, so this three match home-stand this week is critical."