No. 3 Cardinals Withstand Spirited Challenge from No. 18 Georgia Tech

Sunday, October 3

Atlanta, Ga.

1:00 p.m. ET

University of Louisville

14-0,4-0ACC

Georgia Tech

11-3,2-2ACC

Louisville

Georgia Tech

No. 3 Cardinals Withstand Spirited Challenge from No. 18 Georgia Tech

October 03, 2021 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Cards win 25-15, 36-34, 25-22 to remain unbeaten

By: Nancy Worley

ATLANTA -- Middle blocker Anna Stevenson had 11 kills and five blocks along with outside hitter Anna DeBeer's 12 kills and three blocks led the No. 3-ranked University of Louisville to a 25-15, 36-34, 25-22 win over No. 18-ranked Georgia Tech Sunday afternoon in O'Keefe Gym.

The Cardinals remain unbeaten at 14-0 with their fifth straight sweep and 12th overall. The second set point total of 36 is the most points in a single set for UofL since the 25-point game rule came into existence in 2008. UofL hit .322 for the match with five aces and 10 blocks, surviving 10 service errors. Amaya Tillman hit .421 with 10 kills and five blocks. Aiko Jones had nine kills, an ace and five blocks. Libero Elena Scott had 11 digs and two aces and setter Tori Dilfer distributed the ball, racking up a match high 43 assists with eight digs and an ace.

Georgia Tech (11-3, 2-2 in the ACC) hit .203 for the set with two aces and six blocks. The Yellow Jackets were paced by Julia Bergmann's 12 kills with Mariana Brambilla adding 10 kills, an ace and three blocks as GT dealt with the highest ranked team to ever play in O'Keefe Gymnasium before 1,200 fans.

The Cardinals return to L&N Federal Credit Union Arena on Friday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. to face Boston College, 12-6, 2-2 in the ACC. Then UofL will play host to Syracuse (14-2, 3-1) on Oct. 10 at 1 p.m

Set 1
The Cardinals played almost errorless offense in the first set with 13 kills on 21 swings and just one error for .571 hitting percentage. Louisville used a 3-0 run with two kills by Anna Stevenson and an Aiko Jones ace to take an 8-4 lead early in the stanza. Louisville held momentum as Georgia Tech had to call time out after a Tori Dilfer ace kicked off an 8-1 run by the Cards to go up 20-10. Georgia Tech used its last timeout during the run and the Cards ran out to a 25-15 win.

Set 2
The second set featured 23 ties and 11 lead changes and the most points the Cardinals have scored in a single set in the 25-point set era. Louisville staved off six set points by the Yellow Jackets as the two teams went toe-to-toe pounding away at each other, as GT leads the ACC in kills and Louisville leads the ACC in blocks. Tied at 34, the Cards got a kill from Stevenson and then a block from Dilfer and Stevenson to win the set 36-34.

Set 3
The Jackets jumped out to a 4-1 lead early in the third set before the Cardinals made a 6-0 run with Elena Scott back behind the serving line. GT called timeout to chill Scott and it worked as the Cards committed a service error coming out of the break. UofL had a 5-2 run to go up 12-7 but GT pushed back to come within one at 15-14 on a kill by Erin Moss. Up 22-17, the Cards withstood a serious rally as the Jackets pulled within two at 24-22 on a kill by Bianca Bertolino. Anna DeBeer connected with Dilfer's set for the set and match point.