ATLANTA, Ga. (Seminoles.com) – Despite improving throughout the match, Florida State Volleyball fell for a second straight day on the road against 13th-ranked Georgia Tech (14-25, 17-25, 20-25).
“Tough week,” FSU head coach Chris Poole said. “I’m hoping the team learns from this experience. We have a lot to work on and were able to identify problems. Now we have to push it to get better. It’s not easy being part of an elite program. We will improve.”
Redshirt sophomore Morgan Chacon had a stellar performance for the Noles, as she posted seven kills, five digs, and a service ace.
All-ACC performer Emma Clothier led Florida State in kills with eight, hitting .462 for the match. Jasmyn Martin was also a presence on offense for the Noles, as her and Chacon both led the team in total attacks with 22 each. Lily Tessier led the team in assists with 16, with Olivia Dailey not far behind, totaling 11 assists.
Senior All-American Taryn Knuth’s absence was felt once again, as she’s been battling an injury that’s kept her out of both matches this weekend.
Mariana Brambilla (17 kills) and Julia Bergmann (13 kills and no errors) were yet again forces to be reckoned with for the Yellow Jackets (3-1). Georgia Tech out-hit FSU .446-.181, while also leading the match in kills (50-32) and digs (39-28).
Georgia Tech jumped out early in the first set, taking leads of 11-4 and 18-8 against FSU. The Noles weren’t able to recover from the large deficits and lost the first set at 14-25.
FSU faced a much similar problem yet again in the second set, as they were down early again 10-2. A service ace by Tessier and a pair of kills by Martin helped cut Georgia Tech’s lead down to five at 16-11, but the Yellow Jackets went on a late run and won the second set at 25-17.
The two teams kept it close throughout the majority of the third set, as the largest lead in the set was two points up until the score was 15-15. Georgia Tech started to pull away late in the set after back-to-back errors by the Noles and a kill by Mikaila Dowd to make it 18-15. A kill by Adrian Ell and a service ace by Caroline Golden pulled FSU back within one point.
The Yellow Jackets rattled off another three-point streak to make it 21-17, but an exchange of points by both teams made the score 23-20, which included a pair of kills by Chacon and a kill from Clothier. A service error and a kill by Brambilla finished off the set for Georgia Tech for them to win the match in straight sets.
Florida State will look to rebound on the road against Miami in another back-to-back match slate that starts next Thursday, Oct 15, at 6 p.m.
