BLACKSBURG – Hitting the road for the first time in league play, the Virginia Tech volleyball team will head south to Georgia Tech and Clemson this weekend.
The Hokies (11-5, 2-2 ACC) will take on Georgia Tech (12-6, 1-4 ACC) on Friday at 7 p.m. ET and will play Clemson (9-9, 0-5 ACC) on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
The NCAA's Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) came out for the first time this season on Monday and the Hokies are at No. 94. Last season, Virginia Tech finished No. 183, marking an 89-spot improvement. Georgia Tech's RPI is No. 76 and Clemson's is No. 79 this fall.
On Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets and Tigers played in Atlanta and saw Georgia Tech come out on top, 3-2, for the lone midweek tilt in league play. Georgia Tech owns the all-time series advantage against Virginia Tech 16-9, and Clemson does as well with a 17-12 mark. Last fall, the Yellow Jackets swept the Hokies 3-0 in Blacksburg and Virginia Tech beat Clemson 3-1 inside Cassell Coliseum.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Fri. | 7 p.m. ET at Georgia Tech | Stats | Broadcast
Sun. | 1 p.m. ET at Clemson | Stats | Broadcast
Going 1-1 this past weekend in Blacksburg, Tech defeated North Carolina 3-0 last Friday for the first time since 2011 and earned its first sweep over UNC since 2006, while falling to NC State 3-1 on Sunday.
Sophomore Kaity Smith had a team-high 16 kills and six digs versus the Tar Heels, pacing the Hokies to their second win in ACC play. Tech held the Tar Heels to a .058 hitting percentage, marking the fifth time this season it has held its opponent to under .100. The Hokies are a perfect 5-0 in those matches.
Senior Jaila Tolbert recorded a team-high 14 kills against NC State, tying her third-most kills of the season. The Minnesota native also tallied two blocks, marking her fifth straight match of owning at least one block, dating back to Sept. 16.
The Hokies are No. 3 in the ACC for service aces per set with 1.53 and are No. 6 in hitting percentage with a .239 clip. During ACC matches, libero Carol Raffety owns the third-best digs per set mark among ACC players with a 4.38 average.
SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH
• Georgia Tech (12-6, 1-4 ACC) is coming off a 3-2 win over Clemson on Wednesday, winning its 11th match of the year at home. Last weekend, the Yellow Jackets fell to No. 25 Louisville on Friday, 3-0, and took Notre Dame to five sets on Sunday, losing the final frame 15-12.
• The Yellow Jackets had a strong showing in nonconference play, going 11-2 for a .846 winning percentage. GT picked up two Power Five wins against Arkansas (6-8, 0-4 ACC) and Georgia (11-4, 2-2 SEC), while its two losses were to Alabama (13-4, 1-3 SEC) and Marshall (8-10, 1-3 C-USA).
• Head Coach Michelle Collier enters her fifth year in Atlanta and owns a record of 80-64 (.556) at Georgia Tech. Collier's best season came in 2016, when she coached the Jackets to a 24-8 (.750) overall record and a 15-5 (.750) mark in conference play.
• Freshman Mariana Brambilla has made her mark on the league, leading the ACC in points (281.5) and kills (254) on the year. Middle blocker Kodie Comby also ranks high among ACC players, owning a hitting percentage per set mark of .403, the fourth-best clip in the conference.
SCOUTING CLEMSON
• Clemson (9-9, 0-5 ACC) is entering this weekend's matchup after falling 3-2 to Georgia Tech on Wednesday. Similar to the Yellow Jackets, the Tigers took their opponent on Sunday to five sets but ended up losing the final stanza 16-14 to No. 25 Louisville, while they loss to Notre Dame on Friday 3-0.
• The Tigers went 9-4 in non-league action for a .692 winning percentage, improving upon last season's nonconference record of 5-7. In 2018, Clemson earned an SEC win as well, similar to Georgia Tech, taking down Mississippi State (5-11, 1-2 SEC) in five sets.
• Head Coach Michaela Franklin enters her second season year in Clemson, being in the same coaching class as Tech coach Jill Wilson. Franklin led the Tigers to a 7-25 (.219) record her first year after being the associate head coach at Iowa.
• Freshman Gabby Easton owns the top assists per set mark in the ACC with 11.01, while outside hitter Alyssa Deloney ranks eighth in the conference and first among non-middle blockers in hitting percentage with .369.
