Yellow Jacket Roundup: The Perfect End to a Perfect Week

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - I had thought of a clever title for this column while I was down on the sidelines during Saturday’s football game (we had a football game Saturday?) but that went out the window, well, about forty five minutes later when...well, you already know. So we’re not gonna recap that. That’s for the gamethread. And the postgame thread. And the bottom of a barrel of rum. Here’s to all the jolly good fellows. Seems like your Monday could probably use something to distract you.

Volleyball

Tech (6-1) sweeps Louisiana- Lafayette (4-5) 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-22)

Tech’s first game of the weekend was also certainly its easiest. Looking ahead at the schedule ahead of the season, I had this one circled as a must-win. As always, and as in every sport, you have to beat the teams you’re better than to have a shot at playing at the end of the year. Of course, I did the same thing for Kennesaw, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyways, the Jackets rolled right through the Ragin’ Cajuns in three sets, with only eight players seeing time on the floor in the victory. Mariana Brambilla and Julia Bergmann both notched double-doubles en route to the victory, which was, for the most, part, comfortable in all three sets. Dowd has seen less time in a hitter position of late, but was still an effective offensive weapon in the game, if only finishing with six kills.

Tech (6-2) falls to Arizona State (6-3) 3-1 (25-16, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21)
Tech (6-3) drops three sets to Oklahoma (7-2) 3-1 (25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 25-16)

Since a couple themes were apparent in both Saturday games, I’m recapping the two of them together. The first, and most alarming, is the Jackets’ recurring issue of having one set where they’re just not in the game for the most part. That came in the first against Arizona State - a slow start - and in the fourth against Oklahoma - a tired finish. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas, but put those two in the same place, and Tech probably gets its first win against major conference competition this year. Instead, they walk away with two tough losses that, for the most part, they were in. I was more impressed with how Tech played against Oklahoma - I have a strong Big Ten and Big 12 volleyball bias, which is shocking, I know. I strongly believe we’ll know Tech volleyball is “back” - those mid to late ‘aughts and early ‘teens teams were really something else - when we can finally avenge some non-conference road demons. Fortunately, the time to do that is this coming weekend in Athens. In the end, only Kayla Kaiser was named to the all-tournament team - probably a surprising turn of events for the well-accoladed Dowd and Brambilla - and Tech walked away with a 1-2 record to show for it. It’s still an incredibly young team, probably just as young, if not younger than last year. It’s pretty talented, too. With the growth that’s already apparent in Matti McKissock year over year, hopefully that starts to shine in the defense of Dowd and the experienced gained by freshmen like Bregmann. The season is young. Now, go win the most important game on the schedule next Friday night.

Next Up: Tech heads out east to some town called Athens, I think, to play Arkansas and someone else, apparently.

Looking ahead:

• “In the Club House” - club sports update coming next week
• “Making a Splash” and “Order on the Court” - women’s basketball and swimming and diving preseason preview and schedule look once the rest of the WBB schedule drops
• Let me know any fall spotlights you’d like before the schedule gets busier into the winter and spring seasons

For football coverage:

click here (I warned you)

For men’s basketball coverage:

click here (this one is better)

This Week on the Flats:

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

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: OFF

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday:
Volleyball vs. Arkansas (An Invitational Hosted By a Place That Claims to Be an Institution of Higher Learning But Of Which I am Still Skeptical)
4:00 PM, Athens, GA, maybe WREK 91.1? I never know these days when they’ll be on and when they aren’t...

Friday:
Women’s Tennis at the Debbie Southern Furman Fall Classic
All day, Greenville, SC

Men’s Golf at the Olympia Fields Fighting Illini Invitational
All day, Olympia Fields, IL (Olympia Fields Country Club)

Volleyball at the School in Athens (A Tournament Located in a Mostly Rural Town More Than an Hour’s Drive from Atlanta That is Not Really Worth a Mention)
7:00 PM, Athens, GA, SEC Network+ and maybe WREK 91.1

Saturday:
Women’s Tennis at the Debbie Southern Furman Fall Classic
All day, Greenville, SC

Men’s Golf at the Olympia Fields Fighting Illini Invitational
All day, Olympia Fields, IL (Olympia Fields Country Club)

Sunday:
Women’s Tennis at the Debbie Southern Furman Fall Classic
All day, Greenville, SC

Men’s Golf at the Olympia Fields Fighting Illini Invitational
All day, Olympia Fields, IL (Olympia Fields Country Club)

Softball at Chipola
3:00 PM, Dothan, AL