Georgia Tech Volleyball absolutely rolled Syracuse last night, sweeping them 3-0 right there in O’Keefe Gymnasium. Coming off a brutal five-set loss to Miami, the Jackets came home and straight-up dominated, taking the sets 25-20, 25-19, and a ridiculous 25-11. This win bumps Tech’s record to 12-5 on the year and 4-2 in the ACC. Talk about bouncing back!
Freshman Firepower Lights Up O’Keefe
Dude, if you weren’t watching freshman Alida Bennour, you missed out. She recorded a career-high seven aces! Seven! And get this, the final two aces of the match came on the last two points of the third set to seal the whole thing. Bennour was everywhere, landing her first ace in Set 1 to help Tech jump to an 8-4 lead, and then dropping three straight aces in Set 2 to put them up 6-3. Her fifth ace in Set 3 made it 7-4, showing she was locked in all night.
Fellow freshman Magda Kobaidze was also on fire, nearly hitting her career-high with 15 kills, plus she threw in two blocks for good measure. Kobaidze was a force, especially in Set 3, where she contributed multiple kills and blocks during a five-point run that had Syracuse’s coach burning timeouts. She ended up with 17 points and an insane .481 hitting percentage. Not to be outdone, Laura Bieleski snagged the lone double-double for Tech, racking up 11 kills and 11 blocks. Zoë Humphrey also made her presence felt with four blocks and crucial kills throughout the match.
The Jackets Locked In From Start To Finish
This wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. The Jackets wasted no time in Set 1, jumping to an early 4-2 lead and extending it to 8-4. Even when Cuse tied it up, Tech went on a four-point run to make it 19-15. Head coach Michelle Collier even had a successful no-touch challenge that pushed them to 20-16 before Bieleski closed out the set 25-20.
Set 2 saw Bennour’s service game take over, with those three straight aces giving Tech a 6-3 lead. Kills from Bianca Garibaldi and Humphrey kept Syracuse on their heels, and another Bennour kill forced Cuse’s first timeout down 13-9. Tech kept pushing, extending their lead to 19-13 after subs Larissa Mendes and Sasha Goode came in. Mendes and Kobaidze then secured the set 25-19.
But Set 3? That was pure domination. Tech went up 5-2 behind kills from Humphrey and Garibaldi, then Bennour’s fifth ace made it 7-4. Kobaidze then led a five-point run with multiple kills and blocks that had Syracuse calling a timeout, down 12-6. Another four-point run pushed the lead to 19-9, and by 23-11, Bennour stepped up and landed her sixth and seventh aces, shutting down Syracuse’s night in emphatic fashion at 25-11.
The Jackets are back at it on Sunday against Boston College at 1pm. If they can keep this kind of energy and these freshman sensations going, the ACC better watch out. That was a serious comeback performance!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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