THE FLATS – Georgia Tech volleyball and head coach Michelle Collier have announced the 29-match schedule for the 2024 season. The season contains 16 home matches, highlighted by a rematch of last year’s NCAA Tournament 2nd Round match, between Georgia Tech and Florida, at McCamish Pavilion on Sept. 11. Tickets for the 2024 season will go on sale at 11 a.m. today (July 16).



O’Keefe Ticket Information

After selling out every match at O’Keefe Gymnasium for the second consecutive season last fall, Georgia Tech Athletics has set aside a limited number of single game tickets for each home match. Secure the hottest ticket in Atlanta before they’re gone by clicking HERE



General Admission Pricing

Adult - $12

Youth - $8

Group (10+) - $5

*Youth tickets cannot be purchased online.



McCamish Ticket Information

GT volleyball will play its third-ever match at McCamish Pavilion on Wednesday, September 11, at 7 p.m. against Florida. Last season, Tech set a new attendance record with 5,303 fans in the crowd against UGA. Help us set another record by purchasing your single game tickets HERE



McCamish Ticket Pricing

Courtside: Reserved Adult $30 / Reserved Youth $30

Lower Level SL Reserved: Reserved Adult $15 / Reserved Youth $8

Lower Level Endzone/General Admission: Adult $10/ Youth $8 / Group $5



Home Tournament Ticket Information

Day passes will be made available to purchase for fans to watch all the action for each of our non-conference home tournaments at O’Keefe. Fans can purchase one ticket for $16 to watch multiple matches on the following dates:

Sunday, Sept. 1 – Coastal Carolina vs. UCLA (2 pm) and Georgia Tech vs. New Mexico State (4 pm)

Monday, Sept. 2 – New Mexico State vs. UCLA (noon) and Georgia Tech vs. Coastal Carolina (4 pm)

Thursday, Sept. 12 – Florida vs. Alabama State (3:30) and Georgia Tech vs. South Alabama (7 pm)

To purchase your home tournament day passes, click HERE



A Closer Look

The Yellow Jackets will play nine non-conferences matches, beginning with the season opener on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. against UCLA from O’Keefe Gymnasium. The battle against the Bruins is one of three matches in the opening week, as Tech will take on New Mexico State on Sunday (Sept. 1) before hosting reigning Sun Belt Champions, Coastal Carolina on Labor Day afternoon (Sept. 2). After a road trip to Provo, Utah (vs. Lipscomb, Sept. 6 and at BYU, Sept. 7), Tech returns to The Flats for the Georgia Tech Invitational, featuring matches against both Florida (Sept. 11 in McCamish Pavilion) and South Alabama (Sept. 12), both of GT’s victories in last season’s NCAA Tournament, as well as a Friday night match against Alabama State (Sept. 13). Tech concludes the non-conference slate with Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, taking on Georgia, in Athens, on Friday, Sept. 20.



The Jackets will face a new 20-match ACC schedule following the additions of SMU, Stanford and Cal to the conference. The conference season opener comes against SMU, in O’Keefe, on Sept. 27 before hosting Pitt the following Sunday (Sept. 29). October features five home conference matches against Virginia Tech (Oct. 11), Virginia (Oct. 13), Clemson (Oct. 16), NC State (Oct. 25) and Wake Forest (10/27). Seven on the final 10 matches of the season come on the road, with a weekend homestand against Boston College (Nov. 15) and Syracuse (Nov. 17) before the home finale, against Stanford (Nov. 26). Tech will play every ACC team once with three home-and-away series against Pitt, Clemson and Stanford.



In total, Tech will play just under half of its matches against teams from the 2023 NCAA Tournament (13 of 29), including five of its nine non-conference opponents. The Jackets will take on three of last season’s Elite 8 programs with home-and-away series against Pitt (2023 Final Four) and Stanford (2023 Elite 8) as well as a road match at Louisville (2023 Elite 8).



Seven opponents finished last season in the AVCA Top 25: No. 4 Pitt, No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Louisville, No. 18 BYU, No. 19 Florida and No. 25 Florida State, with SMU finishing the year receiving the most votes of any non-ranked team. The Jackets came in at No. 14 in the final poll of the season, the 70th consecutive Top 25 ranking dating back to the start of the 2020 season.



2024 Season Outlook

The Yellow Jackets are coming off their fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023, with an opportunity to tie the program record for consecutive NCAA Tournament berths this year. Tech is one of only 14 programs across Division I to have won a match in each of the last four tournaments after defeating both South Alabama (3-1) and Florida (3-2) last season.



Tech returns six of eight players from last year’s main rotation, including AVCA All-American Bianca Bertolino (OH), All-ACC Tamara Otene (OH) and All-ACC Freshman Team members Larissa Mendes (RS) and Heloise Soares (S). Bertolino is coming off a season in which she established herself as the best passer in the nation, at her position, successfully passing 97.5 percent of the serves sent her way (711 of 729 receptions), the highest receiving percentage of any non-libero in Division I. Otene delivered her first-career 400 kill season in 2023, extending GT’s streak to eight straight full seasons with at least one 400 kill hitter, one of only four programs in Division I to do so.



Coach Collier added five newcomers to the roster thanks to a pair of transfers, senior setter Luanna Emiliano (UTRGV) and junior DS/L Sofia Velez (Trinity Valley CC), and three incoming freshmen: Logan Wiley (MB), Mira McCool (MB/RS) and Lydia Zeng (DS/L).



In typical GT volleyball fashion, the 2024 roster contains a strong international component. Six of the 17 players on the roster come from outside the United States: Bertolino (San Guillermo-Santa Fe, Argentina), Emiliano (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), Mendes (Fortaleza, Brazil), Otene (Auckland, New Zealand), Soares (Joinville, Brazil) and Velez (Tulua, Colombia). The Jackets return all three coaches from last season, all from Brazil.



Head Coach Michelle Collier enters her 11th season on The Flats with a 197-107 record. She is three wins shy of becoming the second coach in GT volleyball history to reach 200 wins, along with AVCA Hall of Famer, Shelton Collier (271 wins from 1991-2001). She enters 2024 with the most ACC wins (111) and the most NCAA Tournament wins (7) in program history as she looks to become the first coach to lead the Jackets into five-straight NCAA Tournaments.

I just watched the full game replay for the 2nd time. As amazing as the victory was, what was obvious was that it really wasn’t an upset—the better team won. Now on to Ga St.





Go Jackets and THWG

Talk scouting, trash talk, and anything else.

• Line opens at GT -21.5.
• Implied odds with a 95.83% chance of a W.
• O/U at 56.5.

He says he will be committing this coming Thursday. Will have more on him after we do an interview this weekend or Monday.

Here are a few gifs i decided to breakdown to give an idea of what happened on the field vs. FSU. These are used to give others a different perspective on how to watch football. I don’t do this to disparage players or coaches, but to give insight to GT enthusiast on what I’ve learned as a player and avid football fan.

BpBuSp 😂😂😂😂 (Big people beat up small people)

We use to laugh at these silly acronyms bc they brought no substance and the meaning didn’t translate to the field, but maybe Brent he was on to something. We saw the GT offensive and defensive line absolutely manhandle a FSU group that was highly touted by many into a statement victory. What made the game so great, imo, is we were sound on both sides of the ball, executed at a high level but left a lot of meat on the bone to keep us hungry for weeks to come. Let’s get into it:




A lot of first drive nerves. Our LBs early on were not getting in position or being decisive. Efford #44 keys are the C-G-T thru to the backs. When you get: Down block , down block + kick out = ball or a puller is coming in that gap that just opened. Efford takes a false step to his left instead filing the hole which leads to a big game.



Similar setup up, same result with an unblocked LB not making the play. First, as a washed LB vs split backs we were taught to cross read when reading the Splits backs. so the same T-G read key and reading the opposite side RB. This is to protect you vs the split action we got here. Nonetheless, the Nickel blitzes & leverage the ball inside to the backer. Tatum #0 should immediately be filling that gap when he sees the front side handoff and making a TFL. It also doesn’t help that Omar Daniels slips




Nerves settled. Let’s play football!!! This is how you play LB. You see it, you trust it, you make the play!!! Butler #15 sees the puller on the counter GH action and immediately shoots down hill with no hesitation off of the puller’s buttcrack to make the TFL.


KQ has been singing the praises of Jackson Hawes and now i see why. Here we have Counter GH with the HBack being a lead blocker off of jet motion. Creative playcall that has variants built off it.Dylan Leonard was really good at blocking in space. Jackson maybe even better.




The game ball goes to the DB room, Cory Peoples, Ricky Brumfield. The Shark Identity makes sense. The football was blood in the water and the DBs swarm to the ball and didn’t care who was in there way. Look at how 195lb #5 CPL takes on the block from Kyle Murdock. Being the hammer and setting edge allowing LBs to
Free flow inside out unabated to make tackles.



This is sound team defense. No hesitation. Daniels insert as the force guy (container of the in the run fit) and leverages the ball to all of help inside for a short gain




Missed opportunity. This is one i believe King would like to have back with FSU in man coverage on the RPO. This should’ve been a handoff on the jet motion. With the DE crashing, we have 2v2 with Haynes lead blocking for Rutherford. It probably would be a house call or atleast 10-15yds min if he gave it





Get familiar with a few words/phrases. Overload blitzes, mugging gaps and sim pressure. Here we sent a load blitz to the RB side. This is to get the RB to stay in and block or for a hot throw. Great disguise by #3 Harvey. He looked like he was going with the WR up the field but dropped into a Cov 2 flat defending CB. Great tackle




When you draw a play up and it is executed just as it is drawn up on the board. Here we have the GT counter play. The backside FSU LB Doesn’t read his keys and follow the puller in front of him. We get the perfect kick by the Guard Fusile and seal by the Tackle Brown (?). We are off to the races




Tears of joy. GT fans have been begging for an attacking style defense that dictates what the offense does. Here we have LBs mugging the gaps(Standing in) and 6 defenders at the LOS to influence the protection to get a numbers. We want the Center to slide left to the 3 defenders left and have the RB plug in & help with the other 3 defenders. With the center sliding left, we now have our numbers advantage bc we will blitz 2 at the RB bc he is perceived to be weakest pass blocker

Very reminiscent of the good ole days with Tenuta




If teams going to play man vs us, this is going to
be a tough matchup for LBs to guard Avery Boyd. This here is another RPO off of the split zone action. The acceleration by Boyd is very noticeable. Another dynamic weapon. I gasped seeing #1 Blackburn (?) getting rolled up on





@Billjr86
This is one of those plays you question why the player was playing peekaboo but when you analyze it, you just have to laugh. This is good GT but a lot of bad FSU. I’m 98% sure this was designed to hit in the front aide Agap. The G-C-G should’ve pulled, down block, block with a trap block being made on the DT. #8 Makius doesn’t allow the RG to down block him and stands him up. The pulling OL can’t find his assignment and so he decides to cornhole his RG in the same gap leaving the Agap wide open. Great job by #44 Efford going to his gap and bringing the lumber knocking Toafili back. Look a the pursuit behind Efford. All of the DBs are there if there was a missed tackle as well



First time we seen a healthy LaMiles Brook in about 18months and he looked like a totally different player. There is no fear or hesitation. Takes on the blocker and knifes in for the TFL




How do you allow two 4th & long conversions? By having 1 guy out of 11 being out or not in position

Inexplicably, Efford gets width as the TE goes to the flat, now you have 2 defenders in the same zone. This is not smart football. Those multiple steps to the left gives DJU the window to make the completion




The CB received the blame but was it really his fault? To the RB side, we have another overload Safety blitz. To the naked eye, it appears #23 Tobe was cooked on a slant route but let’s look closer, particularly at the DE up top. The DE is dropping into coverage as the hole or spy defender. Issue here is the DE doesn’t get in front of the QB line of sight. It he did, it would’ve gave him an opportunity to make a play, close the window down to make it a tougher, or make DJU hold the ball an extra second for the safety to get the sack

Stepping into this week like:

@Kelly Quinlan

Hey Jackets - I remember this was a thing last year so popping a thread for help connecting me if its still going.

Ive got a kids pop warner team of 35. Anyway to get them FREE tix for the VMI game or dare I say Duke game? Or if its something nominal like $3-5 a tix I can buy a package to sponsor them?

Thanks and Go Jackets!

Our score predictions are at the end. Hard to talk a lot about what to expect from Georgia State with so many unknowns going into Saturday.

Any folks from bham making a trip to the game Saturday

This was kind of a strange media avail, Brent Key was not in much of a mood to talk about stuff as he just wants to play ball at this point and doesn't want to talk about the FSU game anymore or momentum. I'll go even briefer than I usually do in my recap.

Brent had a childhood friend with him who is working on the Chad Powers show starting Glen Powell for Hulu based on the Eli Manning commercial. They joked they were the only two people to get out of their hometown.


Key is excited to be back in BDS and they expect a good crowd and he is excited for the students to be back and hopefully like they were to end last season providing good energy. He said he reminded the team yesterday means nothing and it is all about building upon each practice and setting up their standard and they haven't established what the standard is yet for Georgia Tech. Everyone has to be held to that standard but it is hard to do that as you are establishing the standard.

Key said they do have connections with the GT staff having had both Jim Chaney (OC) and Kevin Sherrer (DC) on staff in the last few years at Georgia Tech in various capacities but they expect everything to be more personnel-driven than specific schemes those coaches like to run or whatnot. That is just the way football is played now. So you focus more on personnel and yourself and being the best version of GT football you can otherwise you create gray area for the players and staff and that creates confusion and then you are worried about hypothetical.

Key was asked if they will play more RBs this week and he said probably, a 53-play game last week didn't lend itself to playing more than two guys. Key said the RB room is healthy for the game.

Key was asked about playing these types of games against an in-state G5 opponent and he said that he wants GT to play the best opponents they can especially in the era of the 12-team playoff but there are some advantages to playing a team down the road like reduced travel expenses and that is easier on everyone.

I asked him about maintaining momentum with the fanbase and the importance of winning the game for that reason and he said the excitement around the program starts with President Cabrera and AD J Batt and from the top down it is flowing around Georgia Tech football, but it is their job to create a good football product the fans will support and the students can be the 12th man in the game for GT and helping for the 60 minutes and four quarters of the game. He wants the students there the whole game and being loud to help create a home-field advantage.

Key said they are sticking with the home game and away game routines he established later in the 2023 season.

I asked about the giant hole in the corner where the Edge Building was and if that impacts kicking and he said he hopes that no one kicks it through the hole! Then they have problems.

Key said they have a colossal task at hand this week and everyone is aware of it and that task is to be the best version of GT football they can be.

I found out on the helmet comm thing they lost it for a play or two because of some issue with the play clock or whatever. My source said they were not sure why Norvell even mentioned that.

Obviously a huge win in Dublin. As it is early in the year, I thought both teams were well coached as there were not any turnovers and very few penalties. Yet I wonder how much of our win is that we are that good or FSU is not what they have been? Clearly they lost a lot of talent, but all I heard all week is how experienced their OL was and that their DL was one of the best in the country. That they had a number of star transfer portal players that would keep them elite.

I think we are much better from a coaching and personnel perspective. But I also believe we benefitted from playing against a QB that is one dimensional. That won’t be the case when we face a Cam Ward or Thomas Castellano. Regardless, can’t help but feel we are much improved. Now we need to keep that mentality every week we play regardless of the opponent.

White head to toe.

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From the school on what is different for 2024 home games, including some new concession options...

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech football officially opens the 112th season at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field on Saturday when it hosts Georgia State at 8 p.m.

Fans in attendance for Yellow Jacket games at Bobby Dodd this season will notice a number of changes throughout the venerable venue. What’s new at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field in 2024 includes:

NEW CONCESSIONS OFFERINGS

Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field’s already great lineup of food and beverages throughout the stadium has become even more exciting with the addition of three new items: Chicken Salad Chick, Cajun Nachos and Philly Water Ice.

Chicken Salad Chick – West Festival, Section 110
The Stadium Chick – scoop or sandwich of any flavor chicken salad, Broccoli Salad or chips, and a buttercream cookie
Flavors include:

• Classic Carol – All white meat, shredded chicken, finely minced celery, mayonnaise, and our secret seasoning.
• Fancy Nancy – Dress it up with Fuji apples, seedless grapes, and pecans.
• Buffalo Barclay – Craving wings? This is definitely the choice for you.
• Sassy Scotty – A zesty blend of ranch, bacon, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Broccoli Salad
Cookies
Cajun Nachos – West Festival, Section 108
Options include:

• Cajun Pot Roast Nachos
• Blackened Chicken Nachos
• Crawfish Etouffee Nachos
• Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice Nachos
• Burrito with Chips and Salsa
• Bread Pudding a la mode
• Cajun Boiled Peanuts

Philly Water Ice – available on all concourses
Flavors include:

• Watermelon
• Mango
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Blueberry
• Cherry

GOAL LINE CLUB PRESENTED BY GENESIS
The Goal Line Club Presented by Genesis, Georgia Tech’s newest and recently renovated premium seating area at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field, makes its debut on Saturday.
Located on the north end of Bobby Dodd Stadium between the 100 and 200 levels, the Goal Line Club Presented by Genesis offers Georgia Tech fans a high-end full premium gameday experience. Amenities include an indoor club area, private outdoor seating, exclusive food and beverage service and more.
Access to the Goal Line Club Presented by Genesis, which is in the former location of Bobby Dodd Stadium’s Letterwinners Lounge, will remain a premium benefit for members of Georgia Tech’s Letterwinners Club. This exciting development will not only give Letterwinners Club members the opportunity for an upgraded gameday experience, but will also provide other Goal Line Club Presented by Genesis ticket-holders with the opportunity to cheer on the Yellow Jackets alongside some of their favorite Tech legends.
Goal Line Club Presented by Genesis tickets for all home games in 2024 are SOLD OUT. Contact the Georgia Tech Athletics Ticket Office at 888-TECH-TIX for information on how to access the Goal Line Club by Genesis in 2025.
CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS
Follow the exciting progress on the Thomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center throughout the season. Fanning Center construction is occurring on the north end of the stadium. For the safety of everyone in attendance, fans are asked to please follow all instructions posted on signage around the construction activity, inside and outside of the stadium.

REMOVAL OF BAG VALETS
With Georgia Tech’s clear bag policy having been enacted for several years, similar policies being standard at the majority of sports venues throughout the United States and a reduction of available space around Bobby Dodd Stadium due to construction of the Fanning Center, Tech has removed bag valets from the vicinity of the stadium in 2024. Therefore, fans that have bags that do not comply with the policy will either need to return their bags to their vehicle or dispose of them before entering Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech appreciates fans’ cooperation with the clear bag policy.
Georgia Tech (1-0, 1-0 ACC) returns to Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field on Saturday for its home opener and first-ever meeting with Georgia State. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m., the game will be televised nationally on ACC Network and fans in attendance are encouraged to WEAR WHITE. Click HERE for a special Wear White ticket offer.

I think this guy does a great job showing how much more fundamentally sound we are on defense under Santucci. In previous years we had defensive linemen flying upfield and taking themselves out of the play, now we move flat down the line of scrimmage and squeeze the gaps.
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To get their asses in to Bobby Dodd next Saturday at 8. This team deserves a huge rowdy crowd

And his first video was about Georgia Tech's win over FSU.

I'm sure @Kelly Quinlan was his first subscriber!

I hope J Batt wasn't counting on donations from him.