Lady Jackets beat Clemson

By Becky Bardwell
No food this week
photo by Carrie Chin

After starting off the season with a 4-8 record, the Georgia Tech women's volleyball team is back on track, winning the last five of six games in the conference (losing only to 16th-ranked Maryland). The team defeated Clemson (3-1) last Thursday in O'Keefe Gym, and currently the Lady Jackets hold the fourth place spot in the ACC.

Against the Tigers, an outstanding performance came from senior middle blocker Danielle Olein. Currently she is number one in hitting percentage and last week she was ACC player of the week. Head coach Shelton Collier commented, "She has really come on now as the leading spiker in the ACC." Olein recorded 18 kills, seven blocks, and three digs against Clemson.

Olein and senior middle hitter Rochelle Komula play significant leadership roles. Collier stated, "Right now they are two of the best hitters and best players in the ACC and so we are counting on them to lead us." Komula recorded 18 kills, 12 digs, and six blocks against Clemson.

Junior Carla Gartner also contributed to the victory with seven kills, nine digs, and three blocks. Currently, Gartner leads the team in digs with 253.

The Jackets face their last two ACC opponents this weekend. Today the team travels to Wake Forest and tomorrow the team faces Duke, both away. These matches will be important in determining the Jackets' seed in next week's conference championships. If the Jackets defeat both teams, they will be seeded in one of the top three spots.

Seniors Komula and Olein are definite starters for this weekend's games, but the rest of the starting lineup is not set. Collier's goal is to have all of the players see some playing time to be better prepared for the ACC championships.

With the Jackets on a winning streak, Collier commented that the team is playing with a lot more confidence. Looking to next week's ACC championships at N.C. State, Collier stated, "I think our team believes we can win the ACC championship. We have a lot more confidence in each other."

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