The Georgia Tech volleyball team’s envelope-pushing season reached its conclusion Saturday night. In a regional final in their opponent’s home city, the eighth-seeded Yellow Jackets fell to top-seeded and undefeated Louisville in four sets.
Playing before a crowd of 5,917 in Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky., the Cardinals improved to 32-0 in advancing to their first Final Four in denying a Jackets team likewise seeking its first-ever Final Four berth. In defeat, Tech (26-7) became only the ninth team to take a set off the Cardinals, who won 25-18, 21-25, 25-21, 25-20.
“They played clean, scrappy volleyball, they have a great defense, and it shows every single game they come out fighting, and I think we’re a program that does the same thing,” Tech setter Matti McKissock told media in Louisville. “It just wasn’t our night (Saturday), but all the respect goes to Louisville. They’re a great team.”
Tech was led by senior right-side hitter Mariana Brambilla, who amassed a career-high 27 kills and 16 digs in what could be the final match of her accomplished career, which includes one All-America and three All-ACC selections. McKissock, herself a three-time All-ACC choice, delivered 42 assists and came up with 10 digs.
“She wanted to keep playing, she wasn’t ready for it to be done,” Tech coach Michelle Collier said of Brambilla. “I think that Mari is a player that wears her heart on her sleeve and just goes out there and fights for every point. We found ways to get her better looks and she was really executing and that put her in good situations. We were trying to exploit what was working for us tonight offensively and Mari was probably the main factor.”
Collier’s team was making the second regional-final appearance in program history and first since 2003. It was a final accomplishment in a season littered with them, including the biggest road win in team history (over then-No. 2 Pittsburgh, which itself advanced to its first Final Four Saturday), the team’s first ACC player of the year since 2004 (outside hitter Julia Bergmann), 11 sellouts of 1,200-seat O’Keefe Gymnasium and an 11-5 record against NCAA Tournament teams.
“As I have been all season, I’m just super proud of our players, of our staff, of our program for a great run,” Collier said. “For our seniors, helping us get our program back on the map, where we belong, and where we’re going to be for a very long time to come. I’m just excited that we were able to get this started. This is only the beginning for Georgia Tech volleyball.”
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