MOBILE, Ala. - The Jaguars travel to Gainesville, Fla. to face No. 5 seed Georgia Tech in the first round of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 3:30 p.m.
South Alabama finished the season 5-6 against tournament teams, with wins against James Madison, Coastal Carolina, Stephen F. Austin, and Jackson State. The Jaguars faced Georgia Tech earlier in the season during the FAMU Tournament, where the Yellow Jackets won, 3-0. Historically, Georgia Tech leads the all-time series, 4-1, with the series stretching back to 1985, which is South's only win.
OPPONENT INFO
Georgia Tech finished the season with a 22-6 record and went 4-3 against top-25 teams. Among common opponents with South Alabama, Tech went 3-0.
Statistically, the Yellow Jackets are led by Junior Bianca Bertolino, and Senior Tamara Otene, who have both struck over 300 kills this season. Bertolino is also one of the most prolific servers in the nation, with 61 aces and a .59 aces per set average. The Yellow Jackets utilize two setters, Heloise Soares and Isabella D'Amico who have combined for nearly 1,100 assists on the season. Defensively, Georgia Tech leans on Fifth Year Libero Paola Pimentel on the back row and a committee effort in the front row. Pimentel averages 4.14 digs per set while Sophomore Liv Mogridge leads the team in blocks per set with 1.04, but Junior DeAndra Pierce leads the team in total blocks with 56. In total, three different players have over 50 blocks and five have over 40.
TEAM INFO
- South Alabama is one of the most stout defenses in the nation, and is listed along the top of the conference in multiple defensive categories. The Jaguars are third in the conference and 32nd nationally in blocks/set, best in the conference and 30th nationally in digs/set, and boast the 13th best opponents' hitting percentage in Division 1.
- Hannah Maddux is the Jags' offensive engine. Maddux is fourth in the conference in kills per set (4.02), top 75 nationally in attacks per set (10.38), and top 25 in points/set in the country (4.88).
- Maddux is one of the most skilled servers in the entire nation. Her .49 aces/set is currently 17th in the nation. She sits 14th in NCAA in number of service aces (54).
- Kailey Keeble continues to be one of the country's premier Setters, ranking 15th in the country in individual assists/set (10.73). Keeble is 20th in the nation in total assists (1,180).
- Paige Lynn has been a defensive constant for South, landing fourth in the conference in digs/set (4.60) and top-50 nationally, and second in the conference in total digs (506).
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