Miami (11-1, 1-0 ACC) kicked off their Atlantic Coast Conference campaign, sweeping Georgia Tech (5-5, 0-1 ACC) in straight sets with scores of 25-24, 25-14, and 25-20 on Friday night at the O’Keefe Gymnasium. The Hurricanes have won the last six sets against the Yellowjackets.
The Hurricanes tallied 43 kills, 31 digs, 11 blocks, and seven aces. Senior Flormarie Heredia Colon led the team with 15 kills, senior Dalia Wilson had seven blocks along with 10 kills, and redshirt sophomore Ariana Rodriguez tallied five aces and 30 assists.
The opening frame was a nail-biter, with both teams trading points in a tense battle. Miami edged out Georgia Tech in the final moments, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
During the second set, kills by Ava Carney and Amina N’Diaye helped the Hurricanes surge ahead by six points. The lead swelled to a high of 11 points before a kill by Bianca Garibaldi interrupted the run. Tech continues to struggle with the service part of their game. Miami made quick work of the serve from Heloise Soares. Dalia Wilson smoked the set piece from Ariana Rodriguez to win the set.
In Set 3, Rodriguez opened with three aces for Miami, while Carney and N’Diaye added kills for a 15-10 cushion. Georgia Tech showed signs of life with a late-set rally, but Miami’s composure under pressure sealed the sweep and the match victory.
Miami broke Georgia Tech down. Colon led the offensive charge with 16 points from 15 kills. Teammate Dalia Wilson had a good all-around match with 10 kills and 7 blocks, anchoring both ends of the court. And Ariana Rodriguez orchestrated the attack with 30 assists and added 5 aces that kept Georgia Tech on its heels throughout.
Despite the loss, the Yellow Jackets showed signs of righting the ship. Head Coach Michelle Collier went deep into her bench in search of answers. Thirteen players saw action —their most extensive rotation this season. DeAndra Pierce was efficient and effective; she posted a .500 attack percentage and contributed four kills. Heloise Soares reached a career milestone by surpassing 1,011 assists, placing her seventh in program history during the modern scoring era. Anna Fiedorowicz recorded a personal best 14 attack attempts in her second career start.
Miami’s experience, talent, and tactical execution proved to be too much for Georgia Tech. As the season progresses, this writer is looking forward to seeing how Georgia Tech will move forward.