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ATLANTA, GEORGIA — I think I may have jinxed everything last week. Let’s try not to do that again this time around.
Volleyball
Overall: 11-3 / Last Week: 0-2
Polls - AVCA Coaches: 18
Nerd Stuff - RPI: Not Available
I’m going to keep this part short this week, because it was a rather frustrating homestand for the Yellow Jackets this weekend. If you’d like to reminisce on a time when the weekend was starting great, feel free to take a gander at the Twitter live thread. You’ll note that the tweeting tapers out after the third set, and there’s a reason for that - the game took a turn. In general, Tech started out on an absolute tear - the first set wasn’t particularly close - but, as the game rolled on, Notre Dame got more confident in the face of a very hostile and full crowd and made the necessary adjustments. Though Tech came out of the gates covering their side of the court very well and finding gaps in blocks, as Notre Dame started spreading the ball out on the court better and doubling up on blocks. Not only that, but the directionality on blocks was brutally effective, as well. Notre Dame’s passing and setting was almost flawless in the back half of the match.
After the early lead, Tech lost a narrow third set and by a fair amount in the fourth. Though they hung around in the fifth, even forcing extra volleyball, they couldn’t string two points together in the end and the collapse was finalized. It was a tough end to the match.
In the second match of the weekend, a fantastic Louisville team visited the Flats, and they came out of the gates on fire. In the first set, Tech never truly threatened, and the Cardinals won by ten. Conversely, the second set was seemingly endless. However, much like the end of the Notre Dame fifth set, the Jackets couldn’t string together a run of points, and ultimately fell by two, as the set took an eye-popping 70 points to conclude. In the third, the narrative was much the same, and the 25-22 final margin reflects a team that never quit. Tech was very close to a 2-1 margin after three sets, but, instead, they are left at the unfamiliar end of a sweep.
Tech needs to collect themselves quickly, though, as after a trip to Virginia, they have the privilege of facing an even stronger Pitt team in their own building.
Cross Country
I honestly don’t know much about this event, given that there was nothing posted besides a recap. Who was there besides? No clue. So, we do know that the men finished in second and the women finished third, but, other than that, everything is a bit mysterious. David Reteneller was the top finisher from the men’s side, while Sarah Copeland led the way for the women. Basically everything else, though, I suppose we leave up to our imagination.
Golf
Polls - Coaches: 8
It was tough sledding for Tech, as they slid from third to fifth at the end of the Windon Memorial Classic up in Glencoe, Illinois this week. The field was strong and the course unfamiliar, though, and given the usual locales Tech is playing, the weather was probably a little different, as well. However, all the teams that beat Tech were NCAA tournament teams last spring, and it is very heartening to see them successfully fend off a bevy of other well-regarded teams, too. After all, they can’t win every week.
In terms of individual performers, notable performances down the stretch from Tech include Connor Howe and Bartley Forrester, and, overall, the contribution from Christo Lamprecht was also very solid. Both Howe and Lamprecht finished excellently, turning in top ten finishes, which is always great to see.
Tech plays next in the Hamptons this coming week.
In the Club House:
Georgia Tech Hockey
By far the most riveting thing to see on the Tech sports landscape this week can be seen in the tweet embedded below, as the Ramblin’ Reck took to the ice for [purportedly] the first time in its long and illustrious history. Is there a source on that? I don’t know where to confirm that, to be honest, and I used to be in the dang club that takes care of it, write a Tech history column, and host a podcast with the guy that wrote the history section of the Reck Club website. So, if anyone knows otherwise, let us know in the comments.
THE WRECK IS IN THE BUILDING pic.twitter.com/UcHMHZzuS6
— Georgia Tech Hockey (@GT_Hockey) October 2, 2021
Either way, it’s still very cool, and it is fantastic to see the Tech apparatus at large supporting the students who are club sports athletes. As much as it is satisfying to participate in sports for the love of the game and pride of representing the Institute, it is very easy to feel that the toil is invisible, and I can speak firsthand on that feeling. So, events like these matter for the show of support and inclusion in tradition that they represent, regardless of the outcome of the game itself. Heck, just giving club sports some recognition is a big part of the reason I added them to this column in the first place.
Sidenote: As I get further away from being in college, it gets harder to know where to find club sports results. If you read this and wonder why I’m not covering your/your loved one/your friend’s club sport, please feel free to email us your team’s results at fromtherumbleseat@gmail.com or point us in the correct direction in the comments.
In this case, that result was not ideal, with Tech falling 4-1. Adding to that, it was also Clean, Cold-Fashioned Hate, a name for this rivalry I just made up. At least, I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard anyone call it that before. It was a difficult game for the Jackets, too, who even found themselves with an early 1-0 lead in front of a very full house up at the Atlanta IceForum.
As one can probably tell, the visitors poured on four unanswered goals and walked away with the win. However, Tech gets another hack at the Athenians in two weeks, as their next contest will be a rematch. It will be the second of four games between the two teams this year.
This Week:
Golf:
10/4-5 — Hamptons Intercollegiate, East Hampton, NY
Football:
10/9 — at Duke
Volleyball:
10/8 — at Virginia
10/10 — at #2 Pittsburgh
Men’s Tennis:
Ongoing Through 10/10 — ITA All-Americans, Tulsa, OK
10/8-10 [Athens] Invitational, Athens, GA
Split Squad
Women’s Tennis:
10/9-10 — Georgia Southern Fall Shootout, Statesboro, GA
Softball:
10/9 — at South Carolina
Exhibition
Swimming and Diving:
10/9 — at Savannah College of Art and Design (NAIA)