Georgia Tech volleyball prepares for Lipscomb Invite

By E. Marcel Pourtout, Editor

Through six matches under first-year coach Michelle Collier, the Georgia Tech volleyball team enters its final road non-conference tournament this weekend with a trip to Nashville, Tenn. at the Lipscomb Invite.

The Yellow Jackets (3-3) will open the event with a Friday evening matchup against host Lipscomb (5-2). Georgia Tech will than play two contests on Saturday against Utah (6-0) and East Tennessee State (3-4).

Last weekend, the Yellow Jackets participated in the SMU Tournament in Dallas. They dropped their first two matches to SMU and Oklahoma before recovering with a 3-0 sweep over Texas Southern.

“We knew coming into it that we were going to play teams with a strong middle attack and fast offenses,” Collier said in practice earlier this week. “We didn’t serve as well as we needed to compete with those teams and that was tough. We played well against Texas Southern which was good to see.”

SMU and Oklahoma provided Georgia Tech with a glimpse of what it can expect in Atlantic Coast Conference action starting later this month.

“It was a good test for us because those were physical teams,” Collier said. “The more games we play, other teams will be able to scout us and be prepared. How we respond to that will dictate our success.”

The increased difficulty of the schedule has been intentional.

“Every weekend is getting harder but that’s what we want,” Collier said. “We’re getting pushed and obligated to grow fast as a team. We’ve done that in certain areas but have to put it together against the bigger, physical teams.”

Offensively, the Yellow Jackets have outhit their opponents .241 to .185 so far this season and earned more kills by a margin of plus-18.

Outside hitters Teegan Van Gunst (60), Courtney Felinski (53) and middle Annika Van Gunst (51) have each scored more than 50 kills this season for Georgia Tech.

“They’re doing a great job of being our go-to players on offense and staying consistent,” Collier said. “Our outside hitters are now facing double blocks but continue to make shots and good decisions. They’ve stepped up to the challenges and responsibilities.”

The early tests have been beneficial for the team’s growth.

“We’ve played some tough competition and been challenged early in the season.” Annika Van Gunst said. “We’re working on effective communications and efficiency to string more points together. We’ve sided out quickly, stayed positive and have good chemistry on the court. ”

The Yellow Jackets have also received contributions from its younger players such as sophomore setter Rebecca Martin with a team-leading 179 assists and freshman defensive specialist Annika Olsen’s team-leading 50 digs.

Freshman middle Sydney Wilson has seen more time on the court. “She’s adjusting well to the college game and its a big challenge playing middle because there are more hitters to worry about and the game is faster,” Collier said. “Sydney is getting better every match and we’re giving her more responsibilities. Its exciting to see her progress.”

Here’s Coach Collier’s thoughts on each team along with date and start time of the match:

-Lipscomb, Friday, Sept. 12: “Lipscomb is fast with strong middles, play crazy defense and an energetic team. It will be a challenge for us matching that intensity in their home opener.”

-Utah, Saturday, Sept. 13: “Utah plays a 6-2 offense and is very physical with big hitters from the Pac-12. They’re not as fast as Lipscomb but more physical.”

-ETSU, Saturday, Sept. 13 “ETSU is a good all-around team that’s used to playing in that gym.”