2023-11-23 05:28:02
19 minutes ago Georgia Athletics
Photo: Georgia Athletics
BATON ROUGE, La. – The University of Georgia volleyball team defeated the LSU Tigers in four sets Wednesday evening at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (25-19, 25-16, 22-25, 25-23).
With its third-straight win, Georgia improves to 18-11 on the season and back to over .500 in conference play at 9-8.
A trio of Bulldogs tipped the double-digit kill mark led by Sophie Fischer with 19 kills. Kacie Evans and Erica Staunton each tallied 13 in Wednesday’s match. As a team, the Bulldogs hit a season high .351 in the match. The clip is the fifth-best in a four set match in Georgia rally scoring history.
Fischer led the Dogs with five blocks on the evening while Bailey Cox put up 15 digs. Clara Brower narrowly missed a double-double, handing out 53 assists and recording nine digs.
At the service line, Cox and Evans each laid down three aces, combining for six of Georgia’s seven in the contest.
Down 7-4 in the opening stanza, Georgia won 12 of the next 15 points to go up 16-10 on the Tigers. Georgia carried a .471 hitting clip into the first set media timeout. LSU (11-16, 6-11) would get as close as three, but Georgia kept its foot on the gas, rolling to a 25-19 win in the first set. Fischer’s eight kills came on a .636 hitting clip in the first set. As a team, Georgia hit a strong .389 in the first.
Georgia used a 5-0 run to find a 10-7 lead in the second, prompting a quick LSU timeout. LSU cut the lead to one, 13-12, but Georgia responded with three straight to go back in front by four, 16-12. Ahead 19-15, the Dogs finished the second set on a 6-1 run, taking the set 25-16. A Cox ace sealed the deal in the frame for the Bulldogs. Georgia continued its hot hitting, hitting .395 in the second.
LSU jumped out to a quick lead in the third set, going up 7-1 and forcing an early Georgia break. Georgia used a 4-1 run to pull within two late in the set, 19-17, prompting LSU’s first timeout. Georgia continued to fight, cutting the lead to just one on an Ana Julia Bleeker ace, 21-20, but LSU kept the Dogs at bay to take the set 25-22 and stay alive in the match. Fischer added six kills in the third.
Back-to-back Cox service aces fueled a fast Georgia lead in the fourth set. Georgia held the lead, forcing an LSU timeout, ahead 11-7. The Tigers used a 4-0 run to slice the lead to two, 14-12, and force a Bulldog break. LSU worked to tie it at 18, but Georgia responded with three-straight to retake a 21-18 lead and exhaust the LSU timeouts. After the break, the Tigers regrouped to re-tie the set at 21. Knotted at 22, kills from Tori Harper and Staunton drew match point. Fischer’s 19th kills finished the match for the Bulldogs, 25-23.
The Bulldogs return to Athens to host the Missouri Tigers on Saturday at Stegeman Coliseum. First serve is set for 2 p.m. and admission is free. The first 400 fans at Saturday’s match will receive a Taylor Swift-inspired t-shirt. Kacie Evans, Mallory Downing, Mackenzie Norris, and Erica Staunton will be honored prior to the match as part of Senior Day recognition.
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