Miami volleyball picked up its second straight conference win on Friday night at the Knight Sports Complex, defeating the No. 10 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 3-1, in one of the biggest games of the season.
Freshman Flormarie Heredia Colon led the game with 18 kills, and playmaking senior Savannah Vach had a game-high 45 assists.
“This was an important match against a good team and our players knew it,” Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara said. “I am so proud of them. They were tough, they were able to manage their emotions and their game and it paid off.”
The Yellow Jackets (18-5, 10-3 ACC) came into the game hot, winning their last six matches. They kept that same energy early, outlasting the Hurricanes (15-9, 8-5 ACC) 25-18 in a competitive first set.
The second set was back and forth, as neither team led by more than two points until Miami went ahead 18-14. The Hurricanes held onto their momentum and closed out the second set, 25-22.
Miami started off the pivotal third set with a 15-10 lead. Georgia Tech crawled back and won six straight points to go up 16-15. The Hurricanes hit their stride late in the set and won 25-22 to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Miami controlled the pace of the match from then on out. Even with some fight from the Yellow Jackets, the Hurricanes prevailed and took home the fourth set, 25-22, to win the match 3-1.
Miami is now tied for fourth in the ACC standings.
A top-10 win gives this team a major confidence boost going forward, as the Hurricanes are focused on getting into the NCAA tournament for the second straight season. Miami now sits in prime position to win some games in their late season charge.
“It was a team win,” Gandara said after the victory. “We trained well this week and to be able play well tonight is a good sign. We are going to enjoy the win, learn from it, and then get ready for another tough matchup against Clemson on Sunday.”
Next up, Miami will face off against Clemson at the Knight Sports Complex on Sunday. The match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.