In front of a packed McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta on Wednesday, Florida volleyball struggled to play the type of game it strives for: mistake-free volleyball.
Over three sets of play, the Gators committed 23 total errors, 13 of which were attacking errors.
Needing a win in the third and ultimate set, the wheels fell off for Florida.
The team recorded seven attacking errors in the third set alone, including back-to-back attacking errors on the final two points of the match.
This lackluster effort saw the No. 13 Gators (5-2) fall to No. 15 Georgia Tech (5-1) in a sweep.
It was a dominant effort from the Yellow Jackets, who recorded an impressive .367 hit percentage as a team while racking up eight service aces.
Georgia Tech went on multiple scoring runs in the first set to put themselves up 15-8. Despite Florida’s best efforts to spark a comeback, the Yellow Jackets claimed the set 25-19.
Georgia Tech senior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino provided the driving force behind the strong set, recording seven kills on nine scoring attempts. She would finish with a match-high 16 total kills over the three-set bout.
The second set was nearly identical to the first, featuring six ties and four lead changes, but resulted in Georgia Tech eventually running away with the set.
Despite Florida bringing the set within two or three points multiple times, the Yellow Jackets' efficient offense was ultimately too much for the Gators to handle, as Georgia Tech took the second set 25-19.
In the third set, the Gators started out strong behind fifth-year outside hitter AC Fitzpatrick. She recorded seven of her 12 overall kills in the set, including Florida’s first three kills of the set.
At one point, Florida led by as many as four in the set. However, Georgia Tech recovered quickly, eventually evening up the score at 20-all.
From there, it was all Georgia Tech. A service error by the Gators was followed by two kills from Georgia Tech senior outside hitter Tamara Otene, and Florida’s attacking errors would allow the Yellow Jackets to win the set 25-21 and clinch the match.
Alongside Fitzpatrick, both redshirt senior outside hitter Isabel Martin and freshman middle blocker Jaela Auguste racked up 10 kills each.
In the dig department, fifth-year libero Elli McKissock paced the Gators for her seventh-straight match with eight. However, Georgia Tech’s Bertolino secured the overall match lead with 12.
The Gators will remain in Atlanta for a matchup against Alabama State on Sep. 12 at 3:30 pm ET.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
