Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Georgia Tech
Wake Forest Sweeps Georgia Tech in ACC Opener
9/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 22, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest opened up ACC play in grand fashion with a rousing, three-game sweep of rival Georgia Tech Friday evening at Reynolds Gymnasium. The Demon Deacons blew by the Yellow Jackets 30-22, 30-26, 30-22.
With the win, Wake Forest evens its record to 5-5 overall and moves to 1-0 in the conference. Georgia Tech drops to 8-3 overall and 0-1 in the ACC.
Redshirt sophomore Jessica Furlong led the Deacs with her fifth double-double of the season, posting 14 kills and 11 digs on the night. Furlong also hit a game-high .480 with just two errors in 25 attempts. Eight of her 14 kills came in game two.
Redshirt sophomore Natalie Mullikin continued to be a defensive force at the net, recording six total blocks in the match. Mullikin had two block solos and four block assists to go along with 10 kills and three aces.
Freshman Kate Rodriguez fell just shy of a double-double in her first career collegiate start. Rodriguez had eight kills and nine digs on the night.
Fellow freshman Dylan Faulkner dished out 38 assists and led the team with 13 digs. Faulkner also had four block assists.
Senior libero Natasha Schaefer was right behind Faulkner with 12 digs.
Junior Jackie Lucas tallied three total blocks, including one block solo and two block assists. Lucas also hit .400 in the match, with eight kills and two errors in 15 attempts.
As a team, the Demon Deacons held the Yellow Jackets to a .153 hitting percentage for the match.
In game one, Wake Forest out-scored Georgia Tech 16-8 over the middle portion of the contest to pull away from an early 4-4 stalemate. Holding a commanding 20-12 lead, the Deacons never let the Jackets get within less six points the rest of the way.
Game two saw Georgia Tech build an early four-point lead at 11-7. After Wake Forest called a timeout, the Demon Deacons scored five unanswered points to take their first lead of the game 12-11.
Wake pulled away from there, using an 8-4 run to build a five-point lead at 20-15. The Yellow Jackets cut the lead to three late (28-25), but a kill from sophomore Shannan Homan stopped the threat and propelled the Deacs to a game-two victory.
The Deacons held onto the momentum going into the third game, as the home squad built an early lead and never looked back. Wake Forest never trailed in the game and led by as many as nine.
Georgia Tech made it interesting late, however, pulling to within four points at 26-22. Once again, the Deacs settled down after a timeout and put the game away courtesy of a Furlong kill and a pair of blocks from Mullikin and Faulkner.
The win was Wake Forest's second straight over Georgia Tech after the Demon Deacons defeated the Yellow Jackets in four games at home last fall. Georgia Tech had won the previous 12 meetings before last year's win.
Wake Forest returns to action tomorrow when it hosts ACC-rival Clemson at 6 p.m.
