September 25, 2016
Hokies fall to Georgia Tech, 3-1
McKinzie hits .308 with 18 kills and 12 digs in the loss
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Georgia Tech (10-4) 252525253
Virginia Tech (6-7) 202716211
  • Cassell Coliseum - 438

BLACKSBURG – Senior Amanda McKinzie tallied 18 kills and hit .308, both team-highs, in the Virginia Tech volleyball team’s 3-1 loss (25-20, 25-27, 25-16, 25-21) to Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech Carillion Court on Sunday afternoon.

In what was a match between two of the better defensive teams in the ACC, the Yellow Jackets came out on top as they out-blocked (10-7) and out-dug (77-71) the Hokies (6-7, 1-1 ACC). Senior Lindsey Owens posted her eighth double-double of the season after finishing with 13 kills and 17 digs. Junior Mandy Powers matched her career-high with five kills and also racked up a personal best 38 assists in the loss.

After Tech dropped the first set, 25-20, they led wire-to-wire in the second frame and allowed the Yellow Jackets to tie the score only three times. An ace from McKinzie and a kill from Owens extended the Hokies’ early lead in the second to 7-3, forcing Georgia Tech to call a timeout. The Yellow Jackets tried to bend Tech but the Hokies never broke as a kill from sophomore Kelly Esch tied the match score up at 1-1.

Georgia Tech returned from the break and responded with a convincing 25-16 win in the third set to jump back out on top, 2-1. Tech jumped out to an early 6-2 advantage but the Yellow Jackets made a move and took its first lead of the set at 12-11. With Georgia Tech leading, 19-17, consecutive kills from Owens knotted up the score at 19-19 and McKinzie later tied things up again at 21-21. Georgia Tech proved to be too much though as they escaped with a 25-21 win in the fourth set to clinch the match.

MATCH NOTES

  • Virginia Tech falls to 6-7 overall, 1-1 in the ACC and 5-2 at Cassell Coliseum this season with the loss.
  • Tech returns to action on Wednesday when the Hokies take on Pitt at 7 p.m. at Cassell.
  • After sitting out last weekend with an injury, junior Cara Cunningham collected nine blocks, including five against the Yellow Jackets on Sunday, over the last two matches.
  • Sophomore Kelly Esch made her second-consecutive start and chipped in with three blocks and seven kills in four sets.
  • McKinzie’s .308 hitting percentage set a season-high and she is now 18 digs shy of 1,000 for her career.
  • Freshman Gaby Senties came on in the fourth set with Tech trailing 21-20 and provided a dig on a McKinzie kill that tied the score at 21-21.

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