Jackets sweep ACC and local rivals
By Bill Allen / STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
No.13 Alexandra Preiss goes in for the kill during Tech’s sweep of ACC rival Maryland. The Jackets handed the Terps their first ACC loss of the season. Tech also swept Georgia State and Maryland last weekend.
Tech volleyball continued an early season romp through the ACC with wins over Maryland and Virginia this past Homecoming weekend. The Jackets also defeated Georgia State. With the three-match sweep, the Jackets’ squad has equaled the 1996 team for best start in school history at 16-0.
In the process, the team also handed the Terrapins their first ACC loss of the season while remaining undefeated in conference play. Alexandra Preiss also closed out the home stand by earning ACC Player of the Week honors.
Jayme Gergen led the charge Friday against Maryland by posting a career high 17 kills while hitting .565, and Kele Eveland also chimed in with a season-high 76 assists.
Four starters ended with double-digit kills as the Jackets used a .337 hitting percentage to take care of the Terrapins in four games, 30-25, 32-34, 30-22 and 30-22.
Tech dominated Georgia State in the early match on Saturday, holding the Panthers to a .072 hitting percentage and responding with a .361 of their own. Freshman Abby Showers got into the act, splitting the set duties with stand-out Eveland and recording a career-high 15 assists in the process. Tech also had a season-high 16 blocks as a team, sweeping GSU.
In the final match of the weekend against Virginia, Preiss was literally unstoppable, throwing down 11 kills on 11 attempts and tying the NCAA record for hitting percentage. Preiss’ performance garnered an ACC Player of the Week award-the second such honor of her career and the third time this season a Tech player has brought it home.
The Jackets managed an astounding .556 hitting percentage as the defense dominated the Cavaliers, holding them to a .087 percentage and recording 55 digs in the match.
Additionally, Lauren Sauer recorded 14 kills and a .684 percentage in the Virginia sweep. Lynnette Moster had 12 kills and hit .320.
Georgia Tech continues to dominate, losing only its fifth game on the entire season, while maintaining a No. 5 ranking in the AVCA Coaches poll behind Southern California, Hawaii, Florida and Stanford. Tech is also one of three undefeated teams left in the top 25, along with No. 1 USC and No. 9 California.
The Jackets look to set a new mark for best start in school history this weekend against ACC rivals Wake Forest and Duke, beginning a stretch of 11 straight conference matches. The team then travels to Clemson and Florida State the following week and returns home the weekend of Oct. 24 to play host to North Carolina and North Carolina State.
