Georgia Tech won the first round at the NCAA Division I tournament, defeating Tennessee in quite a close encounter. The game was a five-set thriller, with the momentum shifting between the teams in every single passing minute. After Georgia won the first set, Tennessee came back quite strongly, winning the second set by 25-13. Both would take one set each going into the fifth, making it an exciting thriller.

In the end, it was Georgia Tech who prevailed, qualifying for the second round of the tournament. Now, they’re all set to face the Minnesota Gophers in the second round after they defeated Western Kentucky. Georgia would need to succeed in this challenge quite convincingly to become a legitimate contender for the title. For this to happen, their players need to be in top form. This includes one of their most crucial players, Tamara Otene. The senior has proved very valuable to the team on multiple occasions.

Tamara Otene’s early career

Tamara Otene is an outside hitter who represents Georgia Tech University. She previously participated in the 2018 Youth Olympics, representing her country, New Zealand. During an interview in the build-up to the competition, Tamara was asked how she became interested in the sport.

Talking to Olympics.com, she said, “I started playing indoor volleyball in 2015, and my indoor coach Lucielle told me to try beach volleyball. She got me to go to a beach volleyball development program, and at first it was a struggle going from indoor to beach. I started training and playing tournaments in early 2017, and I began to get used to it and have really enjoyed it since then.”

While Tamara Otene would struggle to make her mark in Buenos Aires as her country lost both the games they played, the player has since gone on to establish herself as one of the best in the NCAA. This journey started after she ended her immensely successful high school career with Westlake’s Girls High School and ended up joining Illinois State. The player would again struggle to make a mark in her freshman year in 2020, as it was also affected by the inception of COVID-19.

However, she truly burst onto the scene in 2021, emerging as an attacking sensation for her team. She appeared in all 33 games that season, amassing 305 kills with a league-best average of 4.49 kills per set. These impressive statistics highlight her incredible performance, earning her All-American honors that year—the eighth in Illinois’ history. Following this success, she decided to leave the college for better opportunities in Georgia, a move that ultimately proved to be a great decision.

Tamara Otene’s achievements after joining Georgia Tech University

When Tamara Otene joined Georgia State, their coach Michelle Collier was very pleased with her addition. She said, “Tamara brings great winning experience to our group and will make an immediate impact in our gym from day one.” The coach added, “She is a great teammate and competitor, and our environment on and off the court here at GT will help her continue to grow as a student, player and person. We are so excited to have her join our program and are looking forward to a great future together!”

Safe to say, she was right, as the transfer has worked out well for both parties. Tamara has won a lot of accolades since joining the team in 2022. She has made an incredible 1060 kills for the team with an average of 3.261 k/s. This proves that she is a very proficient attacker. However, this doesn’t mean that her defense isn’t great either. Throughout her collegiate career, she has made 1074 digs with an average of 2.325 digs per set.

This has made her not only a vital player for the team but also one of the best in the NCAA. Her impressive performances have earned her numerous accolades, including inclusion in the 2023 All-ACC First Team, 2023 VolleyballMag.com All-American, 2023 AVCA All-East Coast Region First Team, ACC Offensive Player of the Week (2021), AVCA All-America Honorable Mention, and VolleyballMag.com All-America Honorable Mention. Tamara Otene has undoubtedly proven her worth to the team. Hopefully, she will shine for Georgia State in the tournament, bolstering their title ambitions.