O’KEEFE GYMNASIUM — Coming off a rough five set loss to Miami, Georgia Tech Volleyball returned home to O’Keefe and easily handled Syracuse 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-11). Tech moves to 12-5 on the year and 4-2 in the ACC.
Freshman Alida Bennour in a season where she keeps one upping herself did it again, recording a career-high seven aces, the final two coming in the last two points of the match to win the third set.
Fellow freshman Magda Kobaidze nearly set her career-high in kills, recording 15 kills plus two blocks to top it off. Five Jackets hit at least .300 of those with 10 or more attempts. Bennour, Laura Bieleski, and Kobaidze all finished in double digit kills. Bieleski with 11 kills and 11 blocks recorded the lone double-double for Tech.
Tech returns on Sunday against Boston College at 1pm.
Set 1
Tech jumped to an early 4-2 lead behind kills from Zoë Humphrey and Laura Bieleski, then expanded the lead to 8-4 on a three point run featuring Alida Bennour’s first ace of the game. Cuse countered with their own run to draw within one, and drew even at 10-10 on a Bennour attack error. Tech regained a small lead starting with a Bennour kill on a long rally, then two more to go up 15-13. After Cuse tied it at 15-15, Tech went on a four point run, burning one of Syracuse’s timeouts to go up 19-15. A successful no-touch challenge by head coach Michelle Collier gave Tech a 20-16 lead before back-to-back Orange kills made it 20-18 and prompted Tech’s first timeout.
Syracuse then burned their second timeout after kills by Bennour and Kobaidze made it 22-18. Two kills by Bieleski put the set away at 25-20.
Set 2 (1-0 GT)
Points went back and forth in the initial run of play before Alida Bennour reached the service line and landed three straight aces in front of Syracuse’s backline to put Tech up 6-3. Kills by Bianca Garibaldi and Zoë Humphrey kept the Orange at bay up 10-8, then Humphrey followed up with a block. After trading service errors, Bennour landed her first kill of the set and prompting Syracuse’s first timeout down 13-9. Humphrey again found herself in the middle of the action, earning a solo block, losing a joust at the net, then landing a kill to put Tech up 15-11.
Tech extended the lead to six at 19-13 after subbing in Larissa Mendes and Sasha Goode before the Orange went on a three point run to make it 20-14. A Humphrey kill for 22-16 forced Syracuse’s second timeout. Mendes and Kobaidze landed kills to secure the set 25-19.
Set 3 (2-0 GT)
Tech went on an early three point run to go up 5-2 behind kills from Zoë Humphrey and Bianca Garibaldi. Alida Bennour’s 5th ace put Tech up 7-4 before a five point run with multiple kills and block by Magda Kobaidze prompted Syracuse’s first timeout down 12-6. Kobaidze kept up the pressure with another block and kill to make it 15-8. Another four point run forced Syracuse’s last timeout down 19-9. At 23-11, Alida Bennour landed her sixth and seventh aces of the night, securing the match and her career-high ace count.
Stats & Game Leaders
Kills: Magda Kobaidze (GT): 15
Assists: Heloise Soares (GT): 36
Blocks: Zoë Humphrey (GT): 4
Hit% (min. 10 attempts): Magda Kobaidze (GT): .481
Points: Magda Kobaidze (GT): 17