PROVO, Utah — Despite a career-high 20 kills from outside hitter Claire Little, No. 14 BYU came up short 3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 25-19, 20-25, 13-15) to No. 19 Georgia Tech at the BYU Nike Invitational on Saturday night at the Smith Fieldhouse.
The Cougars (4-1, 0-0 Big 12) fought back from early deficits in three of the five sets and led 7-4 in the fifth before a late surge from the visitors handed the match to Georgia Tech in a 15-13 final set.
Little led BYU with 20 kills while hitting at a clip of .442 with two service aces, nine digs and a pair of block assists. Freshmen Elli Mortensen and Blaykli Bobik added eight kills apiece, a career high for Bobik, with Mortensen tacking on eight digs as well. Fellow freshman, libero Lulu Uluave recorded a career-high 16 digs along with six assists.
Saturday marked BYU’s first double-digit block performance of the season with 11 on the night. Brielle Kemavor posted two solo blocks and four block assists for a career-high six total blocks to lead the Cougars’ defensive efforts.
Set 1
The Cougars started off on a 3-0 run with a kill and block by Bobik followed up by a block from Kjersti Strong. Georgia Tech replied with a 3-0 run and took a 4-3 lead before an error squared the set at four. The teams traded points to 10-10 before the Cougars retook a 12-10 lead on a Yellow Jacket error and an ace from Hannah Billeter.
BYU went on another 3-0 run, taking the score to 18-13 with a kill from Alex Bower and two Georgia Tech errors. The Cougars surged to a 20-13 lead as Kemavor recorded a kill off a Bower assist and BYU took advantage of several Yellow Jacket errors. Both teams traded 3-0 runs to a 23-19 score with the Cougars’ run highlighted by a Claire Little ace.
A Georgia Tech service error brought the set to a halt with BYU winning 25-21.
Set 2
Georgia Tech went on a 3-0 run to start off the second set, but the Cougars answered after a Yellow Jacket service error with kills from Strong, Mortensen and Little to come within two at 7-5. Kills from Kemavor and Mortensen and another pair of Georgia Tech errors then narrowed the Cougar deficit to 11-10.
The teams exchanged points and the Cougars tied it up at 15-15 with a kill by Little and a Yellow Jacket attack error. After back-and-forth scoring, the Yellow Jackets used a 4-0 surge to go up 22-17. BYU replied with kills from Mortensen, Bobik and Strong, but the Yellow Jackets took set two with 25-20.
Set 3
The Yellow Jackets took another early 3-0 lead to start off the third set, and the Cougars answered with a block from Kemavor, a Yellow Jacket error and a kill from Bobik to tie it up 3-3. BYU then took the lead off four-straight points, making the score 7-4.
The Cougars extended their lead to 13-7 and then 14-9 with kills from Little and Bobik as well as an ace from Bower. After another run, Georgia Tech narrowed BYU’s lead to 16-13. The Cougars maintained their lead at 22-18 after three-straight kills from Little. BYU finished the set on top at 25-19 with a pair of Yellow Jacket errors and an Elyse Stowell kill.
Set 4
Georgia Tech gained a 6-1 lead to begin set four, but BYU went on a 2-0 run with the help of two-straight Yellow Jacket errors. After trading scores, the Cougars reduced the Yellow Jackets' lead to 10-9 with a pair of kills from Little.
BYU matched Georgia Tech’s score at 13-13 with kills from Bobik and Strong. Alongside the help of several kills, the Yellow Jackets took the lead to 20-17 with a 4-1 run on the Cougars. Georgia Tech took the set 25-20 with back-to-back kills to finish.
Set 5
BYU started the fifth set off at 3-1 with two kills from Little and an ace from Bower. Kemavor, Mortensen and Bobik all recorded kills to widen the lead to 7-4. Georgia Tech took four-straight points to regain the lead at 8-7. The Cougars responded with back-to-back scores off a Mortensen kill and a Yellow Jacket attack error.
The score was tied up at 11 after trading points, but the Yellow Jackets went on a 3-0 kill streak to take it to 14-11. BYU scored two consecutive points from a service error and a Little ace, but the Yellow Jackets took the fifth set 15-13.
Up Next
The Cougars will travel to San Diego’s Jenny Craig Pavilion to take on the Toreros on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. MDT followed by the No. 12 Oregon Ducks on Friday at 8 p.m. MDT.