Yellow Jacket Roundup: The Right Stuff

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - It was a busy week on the Flats, with the spring sports starting up and the winter sports back at it.

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No. 14 Women’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis opened up their home slate with a 4-0 sweep at the hands of Ohio State before...well...I couldn’t tell you how the consolation against Auburn went because any trace of it has disappeared from ramblinwreck.com and I was in a swim meet. Since Tech split against the Buckeyes last week, I don’t think that 4-0 is as bad as it seems, but it’s still not great for a tournament they went rather deep in last year, granted, against different opponents and such.

This week: The Racket Jackets play host to Winthrop and Texas Tech.

No. 19/NR Swimming and Diving

Swimming played host to a perennially strong Denver Pioneers team, though one on a bit of a downswing this year, in an interesting schedule move which, along with adding Auburn, were steps in the right direction for a program that still somehow hardly schedules conference competition, and indeed dropped the School out East for this year. Weird. Anyways, on night one, the Jackets took an early lead in the meet thanks to strong showings in the relays by the men, as well as a standout swim in the medley by Tanner Doan, and the women just having more depth than their Summit League foes. Day two saw more successful relays and an interesting move in the women’s 200 Freestyle which ultimately paid off as their two most dependable swimmers, Emily Ilgenfritz and Iris Wang, wound up going 1-2. Tech swept Denver, indeed more of a rout for the men, in the home finale.

This week: The Jackets are at rest until a second trip to Auburn in a week after dropping a duel meet there earlier this month. Huh. That sounds familiar. Anyways, they hit the Plains the weekend after next.

Women’s Basketball

Sunday, January 27th: Georgia Tech (13 - 7) falls late to no. 8 NC State (20 - 0), 68-60.

After rocketing up the bracketology predictions following their thrilling come-from-behind victory over Syracuse last weekend, the Jackets were unable to catch lightning in a bottle for a second week in a row as Tech faced their fourth top 15 team in as many Sundays. Tech never trailed by all that much, and indeed weren’t put away until there was less than 30 seconds left in Sunday’s contest. A few borderline fouls sent Elizabeth Balogun to the bench with foul trouble early in the fourth, and despite Francesca Pan nailing the lights out of a three to tie the game at 52, the Wolfpack had more left - gaining key calls and draining several threes late, including an immediate answer to Pan’s gem - to pull away in the end.

I wouldn’t call it a disappointing game for Tech - they showed flashes of greatness and hung with a well-regarded team - but sure won’t call it a quality loss either, if most for personal distaste for the concept. It’s tough to lose one against a good team when you have a chance late. But these games are also learning opportunities, whether that’s not forcing drives, executing high-percentage makes down low, and shot selection from three. These things are what forges a team for the end of the season. And with how this one has been playing of late, and despite playing a chalky sport in the chalkiest of its leagues, these lessons will pay dues come March.

This week: Tech looks to right the ship as they visit the thrilling, light-blue-loving denizens of Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, as well as drop by the golden dome and Touchdown Jesus in beautiful, breezy South Bend, Indiana.

Men’s Tennis

Men’s Tennis began the week with a loss to the school out east in exhibition that was, in all honesty, closer than it looked, despite the opponent also leaving one of their best players on the bench. The Jackets then turned their attention to The Citadel, who fell to Tech in a doubleheader last season to open the regular season. This year was no different, as Tech won handily in both matches, 7-0 and 6-1, despite some rest for their lineup as well. Tech then continued the home streak with a match against Furman on Sunday, but the live results just link to the women’s ITA Kickoff Regional Championship, where Ohio State defeated Kentucky, so there’s that.

This week: Tech hits the road to pay a visit to our two oldest rivals - Auburn and the school in Athens - in what is essentially a prototypical SEC conference schedule that happens to come in the middle of our non-conference season.

Track and Field

Tech paid the school on the lake a visit this weekend, and, most notable, Jeanine Williams continued her now-traditional rule over the hurdles, and took home the third fastest time in the country thus far. Short sprints were also successful for the Jackets, who had many notable personal standards set, even though they did not produce many medalists.

This week: Ann Arbor, a hotspot it seems lately for the Jackets, hosts its second non-revenue visit from Georgia Tech in the past month as track heads to the frozen north.

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Club Sports Rundown:

No. 1 Swimming: Thoroughly demolishes rival Auburn in dual meet action Sunday.
No. 8 Men’s Lacrosse: Hosted Reinhardt in exhibition match Saturday afternoon.
Women’s Lacrosse: Started the season in Tuscaloosa with a win.
Men’s Volleyball: Played four games as well as played host to tournament, got fourth.

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This Week on the Flats:

BOLD for home, REGULAR for away, ITALIC for time and location

Monday: OFF

Tuesday:
Men’s Basketball vs. No. 11 North Carolina
7:00 PM, McCamish Pavilion, ACC Network Extra / Regional Affiliates, and the Georgia Tech IMG Basketball Radio Network (WCNN 680 AM / 93.7 FM Atlanta)

Wednesday:
Women’s Tennis vs. Texas Tech
3:00 PM, Ken Byers Tennis Complex

Thursday:
Women’s Basketball vs. North Carolina
7:00 PM, Chapel Hill, NC, ACC Network Extra and WREK 91.1

Friday:
Men’s Tennis @ Auburn
11:00 AM, Auburn, AL

Track and Field at the University of Michigan Invitational
All day, Ann Arbor, MI

Saturday:
Women’s Tennis vs. Winthrop
11:00 AM, Ken Byers Tennis Complex

Men’s Basketball at Florida State
12:00 PM, Tallahassee, FL, ACC Network Extra / Regional Affiliates and the Georgia Tech IMG Basketball Radio Network (WCNN 680 AM / 93.7 FM Atlanta)

Track and Field at the University of Michigan Invitational
All day, Ann Arbor, MI

Sunday:
Women’s Basketball at Notre Dame
12:00 PM, South Bend, IN, Raycom Sports and WREK 91.1

Men’s Tennis at the School out East
1:00 PM, Athens, GA