Tech’s men’s golf team is coming off a rocky season that saw it finish fourth in the ACC Tournament and tied for seventh in the NCAA Regional tournament, failing to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, missing match play for just the third time since its inception in 2009.

It was Tech’s worst season in years, particularly after a golden stretch that saw the team place in Golfstat’s top 10 for three consecutive seasons, courtesy of ramblinwreck.com.

But Coach Bruce Heppler and his staff refuse to linger on the sour taste of last season, focusing instead on the influx of new talent for this season. With four freshmen added to the 2016–17 roster, Coach Heppler has the team looking to make a splash this fall.

Tech returns six lettermen from last year’s team, all of whom must contribute at a high level in order to return the Jackets to NCAA golf prominence.

“A lot of our players gained valuable experience last year and the returners should be prepared to produce better results,” Coach Heppler explained in an email interview with the Technique.

Returning players James Clark, Michael Hines, Jacob Joiner, Chris Petefish and Vincent Whaley all bring valuable ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament experience and will be expected to carry the team to success throughout the season.

Heppler added that the team is relying on an infusion of young blood on the team — the additions of freshmen Andy Ogletree, Luke Schniederjans, Anton Serafini and Tyler Strafaci — to bolster competition at home qualifiers and add depth to the roster.

He emphasized that competing at home against the established older players would provide the youngsters ample opportunity to prove and refine their skills.

These intrasquad qualifiers will pay big dividends for Tech, as playing better golf during qualification will allow these freshmen to gain valuable experience against other great golfers on the team and turn in better results when they participate in the team’s big tournaments.

Schniederjans, in particular, comes from a notable lineage. His brother, Ollie, was one of the most decorated golfers in Tech history. At one point, he ranked as the No. 1 amateur player in the world, courtesy of ramblinwreck.com. In the 2013–14 season, he was awarded the Bobby Dodd Scholarship, an honor recognizing him as the best male student-athlete across all Tech sports.

The younger Schniederjans has an impressive resume of his own right. Ranked the No. 51 prospect in his class, he joins three other members of the recruiting haul, including two ranked in the top 15 nationally by Junior Golf Scoreboard: Andy Ogletree at No. 11 and Tyler Strafaci at No. 6.

Strafaci, too, carries on golf as a family tradition. The Florida native’s grandfather won national amateur golf titles and once competed alongside legendary sportsman Arnold Palmer, courtesy of USGA.com.

Ogletree’s decision to join Tech was not recent. He committed to the then No. 2 Jackets in 2013, courtesy of meridianstar.com.

The 42nd-ranked Jackets begin the road to a 17th ACC Championship and 29th NCAA Tournament appearance in Rocky Face, Ga. at the Carpet Capital Collegiate on Sep. 9–11.

They will play three more tournaments in the fall before taking a break for winter: the Maui Jim Invitational in Scottsdale, Az. (Sept. 23–25), Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate held in nearby Alpharetta, Ga. (Oct. 21–23), and the Cypress Point Class in Pebble Beach, Ca. (Oct. 31–Nov. 1).

With a roster loaded with young talent, Coach Heppler looks to have the Jackets make a serious run at the national championship this spring, but it all begins with these crucial and formative fall tournaments.

At 7:30 a.m. EST on Saturday, Tech will kick off its college football season in Dublin, Ireland, against the Boston College Eagles. The match-up is important for both teams since they struggled last season, especially against conference opponents.

Coming into the game, the Jackets will start many fresh faces. The most important aspect for Tech this game, however, will be the offense.

Last year, the Boston College Eagles were top in the nation defensively, and although they have lost most of their defensive coaching staff and key players like Steven Daniels and Justin Simmons, they will still remain a  formidable defensive force.

Leading the offense, redshirt senior Justin Thomas will start his 27th consecutive game for the Jackets, courtesy of ajc.com. At B-back, sophomore Marcus Marshall and true freshman Dedrick Mills are listed as split starters.

An important point for Tech will be getting at least one of the two B-backs to jumpstart the offense early, an admittedly sore point in the latter half of last season. The young age at B-back is countered at A-back, though. There, redshirt sophomore Clinton Lynch, redshirt senior Isiah Willis, and redshirt junior and UGA transfer J.J. Green are firmly in the mix.

The biggest offensive change this offseason for the Jackets was the offensive line. Not only are the players generally young, but the line has undergone a physical transformation as well. Most of the offensive line, particularly towering guard Shamire Devine, shed fat and gained muscle this offseason, resulting in a more athletic line that will be looking to prove itself after a shaky season last year. It’ll be especially important for the line to be strong in this game because of the Eagles’ strong, athletic defense.

To put it in perspective, last season Tech averaged 256.2 rush yards per game while Boston College led the entire nation by allowing 254.3 total yards per game and only 82.8 rush yards per game courtesy of NCAA.com.

Moving onto the defensive side, Tech will look to shut down a Boston College offense that was close to last in the nation last year. What appears to be a seemingly easy task at face value may have more to it; the Eagles received a graduate transfer from Kentucky in quarterback Patrick Towles. In addition, they are returning running back Jon Hilliman from a broken foot that caused him to miss much of last season.

Some key players to look out for on the defensive side for Tech are going to be redshirt senior Rod Rook-Chungong, who will have to step as the leader for the defensive line, and senior Chase Alford, who will have to coordinate the defense at middle linebacker. A wild card is redshirt senior defensive lineman Francis Kallon: he may be particularly fiery in front of family and friends who have traveled the short distance to Dublin from his birthplace of London.

Also important to note are the changes that Tech faces in the secondary. With the loss of big names such as Jamal Golden and D.J. White, some of the starting spots in the secondary are still up in the air. Coach Ted Roof has yet to announce the starters at strong safety, as well as one of the cornerback spots. Beyond that, even with experienced starters, back-ups will most likely be put in at some point during the game. This means that two redshirt freshmen — Meiko Dotson and Dorian Walker — will see their first playing time in their college careers.

However, the secondary shouldn’t be tested too much , even with the new quarterback for the Eagles. Last season, Boston college was ranked the fourth worst team in the nation in terms of pass yards per game with an abysmal 111.2 yards per game. To put that in perspective, Tech, who threw 57 fewer times than Boston College over the last year, averaged 121.8 yards per game, courtesy of NCAA.com. This match-up should be a good warm up game for the secondary; however, Towles’ addition to the team may be able to kickstart an otherwise stale offense.

Overall, Tech should focus on getting the offense going early to tire out a talented defense, and just playing to the fundamentals on defense to keep the ball with the offense. If Tech can avoid the woes of early down running that plagued them last year, they should be able to outscore what was one of the worst offenses in the nation last year. The biggest wildcard for this game, however, is the Boston College defense with a whole new coaching staff. For this game, Tech will look to set the tone and show that last season was just a fluke.

You just got back from that internship, and your bank account is no longer looking anemic. Your rent isn’t due for a while, and you’re about to make a poor fiscal decision. Before buying that new watch or filling your bathtub with Henny, think about your kitchen. It misses you.

There is more to life than overcooked chicken and popcorn as a meal. There is more to life than dining halls and overpriced, unfulfilling meal plans. It is possible to cook your own food.

You may think that you’re not a cook and can never be one, but that is simply untrue. With some capital invested in your kitchen, you can make edible meals that don’t taste awful.

You will need a pan, a saucepan, a knife that doesn’t suck, a cutting board, a big spoon, a fork and a bowl. Survival is possible with just these seven things.

Get used to pasta and rice dishes, which can grow dull but provide life-sustaining carbohydrates. You will be making lots of spaghetti dishes, but cooking is about practice.

Finding a recipe online is great, but it will likely not come out well the first time you make it. That is OK. Keep going.

There are a wealth of YouTube channels that feature varying complexities of recipes. A few are Laura in the Kitchen, Jamie Oliver’s FoodTube, and Everyday Food. These not only present semi-fancy meals but also ones that any skill level cook can prepare with little trouble.

If you want to be fancy and use the oven, get yourself a baking sheet. You can bake bread. Bread may seem intimidating, but it’s actually significantly cheaper to bake your own bread than to buy it from the store. Flour, water, salt, and yeast are the four required ingredients.

A simple recipe is 500 grams (4 cups/a lot of) flour to 300 grams (1.25 cups/just guess) water with a tablespoon of salt and a single sachet of rapid rise yeast.

Mix. Knead for 10 minutes. Cover the dough and let it rise for two hours. Flatten it. Ball it up again. Let it rise for an hour. Bake at 425 F for up to 40 minutes and let it cool. This costs maybe $2, which is less than half the price of bread at the store.

Once you find a recipe that works, never deviate from that working base. You can add frills later, but that core recipe will carry you through the years.

If you’re past survival and can improvise basic recipes, it’s time to turn up. Take that watch out of your Amazon cart. It’s time to get cracking.

You will need: a nonstick cookware set, a chef knife that costs more than $30, several plastic spoons, a plastic spatula, a big wooden spoon, a vegetable peeler and a roasting tray.

You will notice a massive difference in your ability to prepare meals. A sharp knife cuts prep time like the same sharp knife through your vegetables. Nonstick pans are magical to cook with, and those plastic implements will prevent them from being scratched.

For extra turn up to every meal, use olive oil. To get your five-a-day fruits and veg, think about getting a blender or NutriBullet to compress that requirement into a smoothie. Buy some short-grain rice and make a risotto. Carry an eight-pound roast back to your room: $20 gives you meat for almost two weeks.

With these simple tips, you too can become a campus chef. The tools are all there. All that’s left is to give love to your kitchen, and it will love you back.

Since the end of Fall 2015, student leaders have been working to transition their organizations’ web pages from JacketPages, Tech’s old database of organizations that connected the student body with the Student Government Association (SGA) and organizations around campus, to OrgSync, a new and improved version of JacketPages with a user-friendly interface and new features. Students can use their Tech accounts to create personalized profiles with calendars that automatically add events based on subscriptions and receive notifications from clubs and organizations that they are currently in or have expressed interest in.

The general consensus from leaders of organizations on campus was that JacketPages was useless. “JacketPages is outdated,” said Thanh Nguyen, a third-year BME and President of Engineering World Health. “It lacked essential features for student leaders and was unappealing for potential members.”

Communication was a recurring problem when using JacketPages. Organizations struggled to find ways to communicate events and meetings to members via JacketPages. “Clubs ended up using Google surveys and listservs as the main form of communication, making JacketPages just a list of officers and a description of the club,” Nguyen said.

Student leaders have welcomed the replacement of JacketPages. New features have made OrgSync easier for executive members or organizations to use, as well as students looking to get involved. “It allows us to track who comes to meetings and also send out mass emails to our members, which is really nice,” said Ryan Jacobs, a third-year ME and Corporate Relations for Tech’s Chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). “OrgSync also lets you host files and forms on their website. The events and calendar are managed a lot better. They have more functionality, and you can also divide members into different groups, which is nice for our exec board, volunteers and general members.”

The transition for some, however, was a little difficult.

“OrgSync is feature rich, organized, and has the potential to be a hub for students looking to get involved,” said Nguyen. “However, the current transition is being handled very poorly by Georgia Tech. Student leaders were told that incoming freshman would be familiar and ready to adopt OrgSync, but that is not the case.”

Along with the newer students on campus, the transition to OrgSync affects older students as well.

“Older students who are not in a position of leadership in any organization have no incentive to learn OrgSync, in terms of participation,” said Nguyen. “The whole point of something like OrgSync is to get more students involved. Getting more students involved means creating visibility for campus events. To reach these older students, organizations will still have to create Facebook events and email blasts.”

However, with any new improvements on campus, whether physical or digital, there will be groups involved that are affected by the change. Hopefully, the straightforward design of the interface will smoothen the transition for students who are more familiar with JacketPages.

Organizations’ leaders also require advisor and departmental approval to change an organization’s profile and contact information, thus slowing down the transition process.

“It is tough to edit the description and update info in OrgSync,” said Jacobs.

Others thought that the transition was worth the effort.

“The process of transitioning was easy,” said Kali Nicholas, fourth-year ME, and VP of Communications for CPC.  “Kelly Cross really did a great job getting organizations informed and on-board. As with any mass data transition or changing of online infrastructure, it was tedious. However, overall, I am really enjoying the functionality and connectivity OrgSync offers. You can manage communication, documents, and membership a lot more easily than in Jacket Pages. I do wish it had some extra features to customize an average user’s, or member’s, or admin’s experience, or could reflect organization rosters more accurately. Overall, I dig the updated look, feel, and features that OrgSync brings to campus and the organizations that call Tech home.”

Despite a rough transition for some, organizations are gradually acclimating themselves to the new interface and integrating OrgSync into the Tech community. Almost 100 student organizations have made the switch. The app has already taken off with “spots” all over the United States. Students can get a head start and download the app on iOS, with the Android version coming soon.

This past week was Engagement Week, an initiative put together by the President’s Council Governing Board led by the Engagement Committee chair, Abhinaya Uthayakumar, a fourth-year biomedical engineer, and Kelly Cross and Sarah Perkins from the Office of Student Engagement.

Engagement week occurs once each semester with the goal of promoting “student engagement in campus life through various activities including student organizations, civic engagement, Greek Affairs, publications and media, the arts and more,” as outlined on their website.

This year, many modifications were made to benefit the students. One of the main changes made was increasing the initiative from taking place over two days to four days. The motivation was to provide students with clearer information about different organizations and make the experience less chaotic in general. This way, students had the opportunity to get to know organizations better and more efficiently spread out their time among the over 100 groups represented.

The week started off with a volunteer opportunity coordinated by MOVE known as Into the Streets. The majority of students signed up to participate showed up, with fewer than 10 students failing to show up.

Another new aspect that was added to Engagement Week was Photos with the Reck. The motivation behind having this event so early into the semester was to let freshmen and transfer students know that Tech also is about professionalism and succeeding in the workplace. To familiarize students with different campus resources, a Campus Partner Fair was organized, including the Counseling Center, LGBTQIA Resource Center, and Office of the Arts.

Although there are events throughout the week, the highlight of Engagement Week is the student organization fair where different campus organizations come together to “table” and provide information about their organization on Tech Walkway and around Tech Green.

“It’s a nice way for the freshmen and transfer students to see how they can get more involved on campus,” Uthayakumar said.

One-hundred student organizations applied to take part in Engagement Week. About 70 organizations tabled on Wednesday and 40 organizations tabled on Thursday. Students received a passport in which they would get a sticker after talking to an organization and signing up for it. After acquiring three stickers, students could redeem their passport for a free King of Pops popsicle.

More than 200 students participated in the event. This year, the forms to participate in the student organization fair were done through the new OrgSync system — the replacement to JacketPages — in an effort to get more organizations on the revamped platform.

The Engagement Committee plans on having an active presence throughout the duration of the campus instead of just at the beginning. The committee is making plans to try and engage shy students to find ways to get involved on campus and create a more well-rounded campus.

This Wednesday, a crowd gathered outside the north entrance  the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons. The mob was no different from one that would amass at Clough on any other day; bags, books and sweaty backs were all present and accounted for. What was lacking, however, were the solemn grimaces worn by students driven mad by the pressures of the Institute. Instead, this crowd was smiling.

For, at the center of this swarm, there sat a flamboyantly painted piano with only a small plaque reading “Pianos for Peace” to denote the instrument’s origin. All throughout the day, strains of “Don’t Stop Believing” and “Piano Man” could be heard around Tech Green as students played the piano for the surrounding throng of singing onlookers.

Through this seemingly random gesture, the nonprofit, Pianos for Peace, hopes to raise awareness for their goal of supporting performing arts education and humanitarian efforts throughout the Atlanta area. The piano, one of 29 stationed throughout Atlanta, was donated to the organization and will remain until the Sep. 18. After its short tenure outside of Clough, the instrument will be donated to benefit the surrounding community.

The two-week Piano for Peace festival is supported by a wide roster of artists, musicians and filmmakers from the Atlanta area and beyond. Several of these volunteers will be creating programs at local schools, nursing homes, hospitals and community centers in an attempt to make art creation accessible to all.

Pianos for Peace also partnered with various organizations around the city, providing scholarships to “encourage talented and motivated young people to pursue an education in music leading to thriving careers,” via their website.

For locations of the 29 pianos and information on how to get involved, their website is pianosforpeace.org.

Friendly staff, an earthy feel and tasty ciders characterize Urban Tree Cidery. From the original English-style cider to their now permanent staple of ginger habanero, Urban Tree Cidery offers options for every palette.

Classic is the recommended first sample for those new to cider. This cider has the perfect level of  sweetness and its carbonation is pleasantly refreshing.

To those who wish to branch out from tradition, try the Ginger Habanero. Originally a seasonal flavor that Urban Tree had when they first opened, it became so popular that it earned a place as one of their staples. The combination of ginger and habanero created a spicy kick in the throat, but it was pleasantly balanced by the sweetness of the apples.

The Barrel-Aged cider was not nearly as strong as the Classic or the Sweet Heat. The unique technique of aging the cider in a rum barrel produces a complex oak flavor with vanilla notes. While the Barrel-Aged cider is complex, their best cider is the Original flavor. This English-style cider uses Georgia crabapples, which results in a dry, smooth flavor. Unlike most American ciders, the Original has both a subtle sweetness and a cool crispness.

Currently, Urban Tree Cidery has two seasonal flavors on tap: Peach (Urban) Tree and Triple H.

Peach (Urban) Tree’s signature flavor is not overwhelming, so even those who do not love peaches may enjoy it. With an almost perfumy undertone, the cider is slightly sweet and tart.

While the peachy cider does not disappoint, Triple H is the better of the seasonal flavors. The name of the cider references both the name of the eponymous  WWE wrestler and the three hops it uses. The cider is reminiscent of an almost tart beer with its pronounced hoppiness; however, it still fulfills all of the classic traits of a cider: sweet, tart and crisp.

As the only cidery in Atlanta, Urban Tree Cidery differentiates itself from the other craft breweries in the city. The characteristic of Urban Tree Cidery that further elevates it is its local focus. From the apples grown and picked in north Georgia to the premium alcohol at the bar, all elements are sourced from Georgia.

While the cidery retains features of a typical brewery, like the cornhole outside, Urban Tree offers a refined yet unpretentious atmosphere. The best time to experience the ambience and sample a flight of ciders is on Georgia Tech nights. These select Wednesdays offer 10 percent off all ciders and special Georgia Tech cocktails.

The Urban Tree Cidery opened in March 2016 and continues to bring in attractions to make the cidery stand apart from other breweries. They have brought in food trucks to compliment
their ciders as well as live music on Sundays.

This Sunday they are hosting Sunday Brunch at UrbanTree from 1–5 p.m. It will include food from Miss P’s Kitchen, music by Reed Waddle and mimosas and mojitos to sip.

Held on Aug. 27 at Kennesaw State University, the inaugural Great Southern Food Truck Festival offered cuisine ranging from southern to hibachi. The rally was a smorgasbord of mouthwatering smells, delicious food, live music and fun games.

Admission was $11 at the door, but attendees had the option to purchase tickets early for a one dollar discount. Adults could purchase VIP Georgia Brew tickets, which gave them a variety of Georgia craft beers, souvenirs and access to private bathrooms — a step up from the always enjoyable portable restroom experience available for free. Some of the breweries offered included Jekyll Brewing, Dry County Brewing Company and Orpheus Brewing.

The tickets did not include food, but many of the food trucks offered sampler plates for $2–$4, giving visitors the chance to enjoy many trucks. Some of campus’ favorite food trucks were represented, such as Nana G’s Chicken and Waffles, Mac the Cheese and Ibiza Bites.

The fare reached further than the South of the U.S. with Willy’s Mexicana Grill appearing alongside Tasting Maine and Bollywood Zing. The variety gave patrons a more complete food
truck experience over the marketed “Southern” food truck rally. There was food for every palette, from gourmet to twists on comfort food.

The Freaking Incan, a Peruvian Street Food Stand, offered Sliced Hot Dogs and Fries — which is exactly what it sounds like, fried sliced hot dogs on a bed of fries. The fries were crispy and salted well, but they were not extraordinary. The hot dog slices, which may or may not have been smothered in ketchup once it passed through the window into hungry hands, were a safe and appetizing choice to start the tour of foods. The menu also included chicken empanadas, which smelled delicious as the orders made their way out the window.

Happy Belly offered a healthy alternative to the other trucks. Few patrons seemed interested
in their menu, which featured brussel sprouts and kale. While the event offered a chance to explore a variety of foods, the people’s choice was not a healthy food truck.

To beat the sweltering heat, Big Easy Sno Balls brought back nostalgic memories of childhood summers with their large cups of shaved ice and bright neon saccharine syrups. Rita’s Italian Ice also aided in cooling down the masses. Local staple King of Pops sold a multitude of flavors. Although not edible, cooling stations were located throughout the event, misting people sweating under the sun rays.

Southern Routes, one of the Southern food trucks, plated up delicious meals. The pimento grilled cheese was delectable and slightly overstuffed, but too much cheese is never a bad thing. The crisp and soft Texas toast was heavenly combined with the gooey pimento cheese. Cheese Fritters and Jelly and Cajun wedge fries were also ready to be dished up.

The ultimate comfort mac and cheese was all the rage at Mac the Cheese, which can be found on campus on Tuesdays. The truck tempted with reinvented classics, such as Spinach & Artichoke, BBQ and Lobster. Mac’n’cheese bites with Sriracha Honey Mustard was a satisfying side when paired with Buffalo Chicken Mac.

Lobster, lobster and more lobster was on the menu at Tasting Maine. The target audience for this food truck is those who want to experience Northeastern seafood flavors in a variety of forms. With lobster rolls, mac’n’cheese, bisque and grilled cheese, lobster can be the main attraction of a five-course meal, with the exception of dessert.

Cheese was a common theme among many of the food trucks, which is understandable given the Southern theme of the event. The Muenster Truck cooked up an assortment of divine grilled cheese sandwiches. The sandwiches oozed wonderful hot melted cheeses and were loaded with choice meats. Some of the items served on Saturday were The Big Kid with Muenster and American cheeses, Tex Melt with smoked brisket and provolone, and the ‘Merican with pulled pork and American cheese.

Another truck that offered twists on childhood favorites was Pallookaville. Some may remember Pallookaville Fine Foods in Decatur, which moved to Avondale Estates. Pallookaville recereates the corn dog with different sausage meats. With names like Corndogula — beef frank — and Cornleone — Italian sausage — eating at this truck is both an entertaining and delicious experience.

No Southern food event is complete without a great barbeque. Uncle C’s BBQ boasted their own original BBQ sauce. Pork, chicken, beef sausage and ribs smothered in the tasty BBQ sauce made up the small but satisfying menu. For those patrons who fell in love with the unique sauce, bottles of it were sold so the taste could be enjoyed at home.

After consuming a variety of savory food, the desire for dessert lead to Creperie, The French Truck and A Roaming Bistro. Covered with a dollop of whipped cream, the Creperie’s melty Nutella and banana crepe concluded the day of food sampling pleasantly and left behind a Nutella-coated tongue.

Voting cards were handed out at the entrance to vote for favorite food trucks, and results were tabulated at the end of the night. The award for best food truck design, “Peachy Ride,” was won by Ibiza Bites, which visited campus weekly last year.

Tasting Maine took home the award for “South in Yer Mouth,” the best savory food truck, while the “Southern Sweets” title was claimed by Chocolate & Spice Eatery. King Kabob reigned the category of “Southern Fusion.” The rally crowd awarded Freaking Incan “Y’alls Pick.”

By showcasing the South’s burgeoning food truck scene, the Great Southern Food Truck Rally connected hungry visitors with award-winning vendors. The entertaining atmosphere of live music and a variety of games made the entry price worthwhile. With such success, the Rally will likely become an annual staple of the festival and food scene.

It is not often that two siblings excel at the same sport. It is rarer still that both are good enough to merit the attention of top-tier athletic programs. And for both to commit to the same school is nearly unheard of.

It is the story of sisters Teegan and Annika Van Gust, Fayetteville, Ga., natives who have led the Jackets in a variety of statistical categories. Entering their final year, the stakes are high.

With head coach Michelle Collier at the helm for her third year, the Jackets have spent the spring preparing for a fall season full of broadcasted games. Tech volleyball will be televised 18 times this season, 10 of which will be home matches.

Collier was an incredibly successful player in her own right. As a collegiate athlete at the University of South Florida, Collier ranked fifth all-time in Division I with 2,729 kills, courtesy of ramblinwreck.com.

The Gold/White Scrimmage was the first chance that Tech fans got to see the Yellow Jackets in action. Coach Collier explained to ramblinwreck.com that she was pleased with the performance at the scrimmage with the Gold team winning all five sets with five different lineups.

This season, every member of Tech’s starting lineup is returning along with some new talent. Freshmen Emily Becker, Kodie Comby and Simone Spencer made their debut at the scrimmage and seem to be meshing well with the rest of the team. That bodes well for their chances of earning a significant role on a team loaded with experienced athletes.

The group got in a bit of bonding time on their trip to Brazil this spring where they competed against some of the Brazilian club volleyball teams. The benefits of this trip were apparent at the scrimmage, with Tech’s teamwork solid throughout the match.

Tech ended last year in the middle of the pack, No. 9 in the ACC. The Jackets finished 18-14 with nine ACC victories, the first winning season since 2012. With a record of eight straight victories last season, the Jackets also tallied the longest winning streak since their 2006 season.

In addition to excellent performances on the court, Tech volleyball earned exemplary academic marks, contributing to the school’s high ranking among NCAA athletic programs in terms of classroom success. To close out such a successful season, three team members went to tryout for the US Women’s National Team: Teegan Van Gunst, Sydney Wilson and Gabby Benda.

Senior Teegan Van Gunst is quickly becoming a household name in collegiate volleyball. Selected to play for the U.S. Collegiate National Team, Van Gunst has made a name for herself in the ACC. She is first in the ACC in kills, and kills per set, second in the ACC in points per set and started in every set last season.  Teegan and her sister Annika, who is second on the team in kills and kills per set, are two of Tech’s most powerful players.

In addition, Simone Spencer will look to join the top ranks of Tech volleyball, joining Annika on the right. Learning alongside one of the two team leaders will no doubt play a key role in Spencer’s development.

After leading the team in blocking with 126 blocks total and breaking Annie Czarneckis’s 2012 record of 123 blocks in a single season; junior Sydney Wilson is returning as middle blocker. Wilson will look to earn a spot on Tech’s single season record list with 130 blocks this season. Senior London Ackermann is also close to claiming a spot in Tech’s record books; last season Ackermann led the team in digs and digs per set, earning her the sixth spot in the ACC in digs per set with 4.16 digs per set. This season, she is 20 digs away from earning a coveted spot on Tech’s all-time top ten list.

The Jackets get back on the court with four tournaments to start the season. The Jackets take on Auburn, Pacific and Furman at the War Eagle Invitational this weekend. Next weekend Tech is off to Manhattan, Kans., to take on Tennessee State, Michigan and Kansas State. Tech will then host Georgia, Georgia State and Kennesaw State for the Georgia Challenge on Sep. 8–9 and end four weeks of tournaments at the Coastal Carolina tournament on Sep. 16–17.

The Jackets do not see many ACC matches during the first few weeks, but there’s no doubt that the conference competition will be tough this year. Looking to rise from the ninth spot, Tech will need consistent, superb performances on the court.

They have all season to prepare for their matches against Louisville and Florida State, the first and second ranked teams in the ACC, but that doesn’t mean that the season will be easy going until that point.

Matches against North Carolina and Pittsburgh, both teams also ranked above Tech, are scheduled for mid-season along with many other ACC competitors. Rivals Virginia Tech and Duke will also meet the team on the court this season.

The Jackets defeated the Hokies and the Blue Devils on the court last season with at least a solid two point lead in each match. After a spring packed full of team building at home and abroad, the Jackets have an arsenal of new tools to help them go further on the court this year.

The home campaign for the Jackets starts versus Pacific, an Oregon college,  on Aug. 27 at O’Keefe Gymnasium.

On August 9, 2016, it was officially confirmed by Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson that Athletic Director Mike Bobinski would be accepting an offer to go to Purdue University for the same position he held at Tech.

Bobinski was originally named the eighth Director of Athletics at Tech on Jan. 16, 2013. Under his guidance, Tech athletics continued to develop, albeit in a tumultuous manner.

Although last year wasn’t the best year for football, Bobinski increased Tech’s presence in the world of college football. In his three years presiding over Tech athletics, the Jackets reached two bowls, with one of them being a coveted Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Bowl in 2014.

For his second season as Athletic Director, the Jackets went 11-3 overall, barely losing to eventual national champions Florida State 37-35 in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship game.  They then went on to defeat South Eastern Conference powerhouse Mississippi State in the Capital One Orange Bowl. Most importantly of all though, Bobinski stopped the losing streak against the University of Georgia by winning on the road in a thrilling overtime game, one that will hold a place in Tech’s annals.

In addition to his contributions to football, Bobinski has made sure that the swimming and diving team has constantly improved. In his first two years, the Men’s Swim and Dive team finished 7th at the ACC tournament, but just this past year they managed to climb up to 5th. Furthermore, Tech swimming and diving has produced many All-Americans over his tenure and even an Olympian in Andrew Chetcuti who represented Malta at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio. Bobinksi also added new members to the coaching staff with assistant coach Neil Versfeld and Andy Robins in 2015, providing new perspective to the staff.

For Track and Field, Bobinski helped recruit new field star Bria Matthews who won the triple jump at the ACC Outdoor Meet in 2016. Matthews also went onto win the long and triple jump at the Junior Nationals this past summer. While the Jackets haven’t seen the most success on the track these past few years, Bobinski has continued the tradition of having several athletes make the All-ACC Academic team every year, an impressive feat.

Moving into winter sports, Bobinski has overseen the resurgence of both the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams. The Men’s team recently made it to the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) while the Women’s team made it through to the second round of their equivalent tournament.

Bobinski’s most important decision in regards to the basketball team, though, has been the recent hiring of former Memphis Tigers’ coach Josh Pastner to coach the Men’s team. Furthermore, he added former Portland Pilots head coach, Eric Reveno, former Georgetown and Northwestern assistant Tavaras Hardy and Tech grad Darryl Labarrie as assistant coaches to Pastner.   

Under Bobinski, both the Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams saw success with the Women’s team reaching the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament all three years and the Men’s team reaching the tournament this past year. Over those three years, the Jackets have also seen success in the individual NCAA tournament with athletes such as junior Christopher Eubanks receiving invitations to all the prestigious national tournaments while juniors Paige Hourigan and Johnnise Renaud received bids to the 2016 NCAA Singles Tournament.

In addition to simple athletic success, Bobinski saw what was perhaps a tough time in the Tech athletic department when sanctions were imposed by the NCAA for recruiting violations; the sanctions were the result of improper recruiting violations across three sports. Bobinski took the sanctions in stride and helped guide Tech through tough time that will continue through June 13, 2017, courtesy of ESPN.com.

Not all fans and employees admired Bobinski. He was nicknamed “Sasquatch” by his colleagues; he was never to be found, courtesy of AJC.com. At a major ACC program, Bobinski was often content to retain his existing cast of characters rather than aggressively seeking new coaches.

Overall, Bobinski’s short three years with Tech have been a controversial whirlwind. The search for his replacement now begins.