#21 Georgia Tech Volleyball were not able to contain the breadth of #6 Wisconsin’s dominance in O’Keefe Gymnasium, falling 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-19) for the first time all season and losing at home for the first time in 2025. Tech is now 5-3 with one non-conference game left before ACC play.
Wisconsin played nearly flawless volleyball, hitting .488 for the match led by Mimi Colyer who hit .567 with 19 kills and only two errors on 30 attempts. Grace Egan followed behind her with 14 kills on 22 swings.
They played at a level that required a strong, experienced defense, something Tech is working to develop with 12 new players.
And it’s not like Tech had a bad game offensively themselves. Lameen Mambu found better form hitting seven kills to only two errors. Anika Groom led Tech with eight kills. Mendes was right behind with seven kills hitting .500.
“I think we played a good first set, then second set [Wisconsin] got a run and we took our foot off the gas a little bit, started to lose our focus, and all these little things started to happen. When you play a team like that, you have no room for mistakes,” said Georgia Tech Head Coach Michelle Collier.
This match featured minimal net play with both teams totaling only three blocks. Wisconsin far outgained Tech in the dig category (34-21), a similar trend to the Tennessee game.
“I was proud of parts of this game. I thought our passing was better, but we have to do better defensively when teams are out of system,” said Collier.
How It Happened
Set 1
Egan was as dominant as the Egan’s in Severance to get things going, earning the early kills to give the Badgers a 2-3 point cushion while hitting over .600. Collier went to her 6-2 rotation with Sara Toth and Ital Lopuyo at the 7-4 mark, winning five of the next eight points to come within one at 10-9, including a sturdy block of Egan by Lopuyo. Tech continued to come within a point on multiple occasions via three points by Bianca Garibaldi and a great Lopuyo kill, eventually drawing even at 19-19 after Michelle Collier successfully challenged a touch call.
Garibaldi again came in clutch getting a quick sideout to tie again at 20-20, then a feeble attack by Alicia Andrew didn’t make it over the net, giving Tech their first lead at 21-20 and prompting the first Badger timeout. Mimi Colyer countered with two straight sideouts to keep it tied through 22-22. Sara Toth and Garibaldi on the next point had a major communication error as they both went to set the second ball, resulting in a double touch. Wisconsin handedly won the next two points to take the set, hitting a blistering .600.
Set 2 (1-0 Wisconsin)
Wisconsin got the early break going up 4-1. Tech battled back some in the first Lopuyo/Toth stint to 6-5 (including getting Egan’s jump serve off the line in two points) before Wisconsin found a groove with four straight points, forcing Tech’s first timeout down 10-5. Tech clawed back to a 12-10 deficit after a Mendes kill and Egan error, but quickly gave it all back after a three point Badger run put them up 15-10. The lead stayed at five to 17-12 where Collier called Tech’s second timeout.
Any comeback attempt was feeble at best. Collier shuffled things up putting Anna Fiederowicz in Lopuyo’s spot for the final 6-2 rotation, but all four points she was involved in resulted in Wisconsin points. The Badgers calmly finished the set winning 25-17 and hitting .564 for the match at that point.
Set 3 (2-0 Wisconsin)
Tech got thoroughly Egan’d on a kill to put the Badgers up 5-2, giving Wisconsin another early cushion that they carried into the middle of the set. Wisconsin hit on a four point run to go up 10-5 that included Groom missing on a free ball and Mambu letting a reachable serve drop in front of her. Tech countered with a three point run to make it 10-8 from a good Lopuyo kill and a lucky miss from Carter Booth. Wisconsin grabbed their five point lead back at 19-14 after a Garibaldi service error and never let go from there winning 25-19.
Stats & Game Leaders
Kills: Mimi Colyer (WIS): 19
Hit%: Mimi Colyer (WIS): .567
Digs: Charlie Fuerbringer (WIS): 10
Assists: Charlie Fuerbringer (WIS): 40
Blocks: Carter Booth (WIS): 3
Points: Mimi Colyer (WIS): 20.5
Takeaways
LOTS OF 6-2: Michelle confirmed in our postgame interview that she likes the looks the 6-2 is providing with Ital Lopuyo at the net and Sara Toth at setter. There were instances were Ital didn’t make the most of some opportunities to get points, but it’s clear there’s a benefit to having her at the net when we can. Without her, we are not super big at the net, especially with Liv Mogridge slipping out of the lineup this season. Ital has improvements to make, but when she’s on, it’s great to watch.
Today in particular, the 6-2 was in so often that I think it eventually took away opportunities from Larissa Mendes who had a great game when she was playing.
The Little Things: Michelle hit on this a little bit, but it’s clear the inexperience is there. Mambu let two balls drop in front of her that she had plenty of time to reach. At one point two people were going for a second ball to set. This team is still figuring out how to play together. It’s uncommon for Georgia Tech to have this many new people. There’s only four starters, and only Sofia Velez stays on the floor every point. They have the fight to dig out points, but still lack some of the wisdom to do it cohesively as a unit. It will take time, but they can get there.
#21 Georgia Tech Volleyball next plays Friday, September 19, 7pm in McCamish Pavilion against another school that claims to also be in the state of georgia.
