Volleyball drops two of four at GT Classic

The Jackets hosted four competitive teams in the Regency Suites/Georgia Tech Classic this past weekend.

"[The fan support is] awesome. There is nothing better than playing here at O'Keefe. Our fans continue to come back and support us day-in-day-out, no matter win or loss," said Talisa Kellogg, a back-row hitter.

The Jackets started off strongly in the tournament by shutting out Western Carolina in all three games played. Kellogg led the team in the opener with 14 kills and successfully hit .500 of her attacks. Freshman Mary Ashley Tippins had 41 assists, and Callie Miller hit for double-doubles in all the games.

The second match came against rival University of Georgia. The Jackets broke up the Bulldog's 25-game winning streak, taking the match in four games. Sophomore Chrissy DeMichelis hit 20 kills, including six in the last game, to lead the Jackets' offense. Kellogg contributed a double-double during the match. Junior Michelle Kandell dug the ball ten times in the final game to stop the Bulldogs and finished the night with 24 digs for the entire match.

"The game against Georgia was amazing. We're playing the ball tit-for-tat, going back and forth, and we were finally able to close the door in the fourth game," Kellogg said.

In the morning match against Arizona, the Jackets struggled to find the momentum they had in earlier matches. Two of the main starters managed to put points on the scoreboard for the Jackets. This was in large part to Kandell, who had 11 digs, and Kellogg, who had 13 kills.

Nevertheless, as a team, the Jackets struggled offensively and hit just .700 of attacks throughout the match. Senior Nikki Kaminskas contributed three block assists in a tough run for the defense.

"It was a quick turn-around to play mornings and nights. But, you have to deal with it because it's part of a tournament and we have to get ready for league play," Kellogg said.

Tech was stunned on their home court by Kentucky. The Jackets were defeated in four games by the Wildcats, who went on to be the runner-up in the tournament.

"It would have been great to get more wins, considering how many tough SEC teams there are and our playing in the tournament. We really wanted to beat Kentucky, but what's done is done and we need to move forward and have to get the wins that we know we can get done in ACC play," Kellogg said.

The first game against the Wildcats exhibited great contributions from DeMichelis and Ulrike Stegemann. The two combined for 15 kills.

Tech almost took another win in the second game, after coming back from a four-point deficit with a pair of kills coming from Tippins and Miller. However, back-to-back errors at the end of the second match cost the Jackets the much needed win. Kentucky took advantage of these last-minute errors in the third match to break the tie at 25 points a piece and win the game 30-26.

"There was definitely much more fan involvement in the Georgia game and it was a good rivalry game. But there was no excuse for tonight [against Kentucky]. We had a great crowd out here tonight and [performed well], but just didn't get it done and have to move forward," Kellogg said.

Kellogg had 20 kills and 5 digs in the final match against Kentucky. Throughout the weekend, Kellogg exemplified herself as a dependable player from all aspects of the game, including helping with the offense and the assists.

Furthermore, Kellogg earned all-tournament honors, making this the second consecutive year for her to be honored at the tournament. Tippins contributed 54 assists, five digs and three kills throughout the match against the Wildcats. This was only her fourth start and one of her first chances to lead the offense in her first year as a member of the team.

"This was [Tippins'] first weekend to be a starter and be in full control of the offense. I think [Tippins'] did awesome," Kellogg said.

The Jackets still have more chances to bounce back before starting ACC play. They will travel to Michgan for the Nike Michigan Invitational during the weekend of September 14-15, playing Michigan in the headline match.