No. 10 BYU hits the road for two top-10 matchups

PROVO, Utah — After hosting back-to-back early season tournaments during the first two weeks of the season, No. 10 BYU women’s volleyball hits the road for the first time, traveling to Atlanta for the Georgia Tech Classic.

The Cougars went 2-1 in the BYU Nike Invitational last week, sweeping Utah State and beating Cincinnati in four sets before falling to then-No. 10 Pitt in four. 

BYU dropped just three spots in this week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll following the loss, ensuring that its two games this week will both be Top 10 matchups. 

Host and Thursday’s opponent, Georgia Tech, as well as Friday’s opponent, Ohio State, both remained in the No. 5 and No. 8 spots in the AVCA poll, respectively.

No. 10 BYU @ No. 5 Georgia Tech

• Thursday, September 8 (7 p.m. EDT)
• O'Keefe Gymnasium (Atlanta, GA)
• ACC Network Extra
• Georgia Tech Radio
• Live Stats

No. 10 BYU vs. No. 8 Ohio State

• Friday, September 9 (7 p.m. EDT)
• O'Keefe Gymnasium (Atlanta, GA)
• No television/live stream
• Georgia Tech Radio
• Live Stats

Under head coach Heather Olmstead, BYU is 25-15 against ranked opponents, and 7-10 against top-10 teams. Since Olmstead’s hiring in 2015, the Cougars are 8-6 against ranked opponents on the road and 4-5 at neutral sites. 

Winners of 10-straight road matches, the Cougars are led by junior outside hitter Erin Livingston, whose 86 kills on the year ranked 49th nationally, and senior middle blocker Whitney Llarenas, who stands at 42nd in the country with 28 total blocks.

No. 5 Georgia Tech (5-0, 0-0 ACC)

• The Yellow Jackets went 3-0 in the GT Invitational last weekend, beating Dayton, Arizona State and FIU, dropping just one set to the Sun Devils
• Senior All-American outside hitter Julie Bergmann leads Georgia Tech with 92 kills in five matches
• Four other Yellow Jacket hitters have also recorded double-digit kills this season: Erin Moss (38), Bianca Bertolino (30), Breland Morrissette (27) and Tamara Otene (24)
• Head coach Michelle Collier is in her ninth season with Georgia Tech, posting a 157-92 record since 2014
• This will be the first matchup between the Cougars and Yellow Jackets on the volleyball court

No. 8 Ohio State (1-3, 0-0 Big Ten)

• The Buckeyes were swept by then-No. 15 San Diego before upending then-No. 3 Louisville in four sets at the Cardinal Classic in Kentucky last weekend
• Six of 10 Ohio State hitters have tallied double-digit kills on the year, including this week’s Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, Emily Londot, whose 62 kills lead the team
• Senior defensive specialist Kylie Murr leads the Buckeyes with 47 digs. Six of the 10 Ohio State players who have seen action this season have recorded 12 or more digs.
• Entering her third season as Ohio State head coach, Jen Flynn Oldenburg has a 44-13 record since 2020-21
• The Cougars and Buckeyes have met nine times previously, with BYU leading the series 9-0
• BYU head coach Heather Olmstead has faced a ranked Ohio State twice during her tenure, picking up a 2016 five-set win in Columbus, and a four-set win in Provo a year later

Fans in Atlanta can purchase tickets through Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets also have additional information on tickets, parking and more available on their website.