University of Georgia
South Carolina
Dylla, Gonzalez Lead UGA To Shutout Over USC
November 07, 2010 | Volleyball
Nov. 7, 2010
ATHENS, Ga. - Middle hitters Ann Dylla and Valentina Gonzalez tied for a team-best 10 kills and combined for seven blocks to lead the Georgia Bulldogs to a 3-0, Southeastern Conference victory over South Carolina on Sunday afternoon at the Ramsey Student Center.
Georgia earned the shutout win with set scores of 25-23, 25-14 and 25-20 and the victory snapped a six-match losing streak as the Bulldogs improve to 12-15 overall and 4-12 in SEC action. With the loss, South Carolina drops to 5-20 overall and 2-13 in league play.
"The team demonstrated today that they can do what we ask of them as far as setting aside any personal distractions they may have," Georgia interim head coach Chad Hanson said. "There's a lot going on academically, a lot going on socially and as a team, a lot of adjustments going on lately. They really demonstrated that they can be successful in playing night-in, night-out and match-in, match-out, so it is very gratifying to get a three-set win and to continue to be as competitive as we can in the Eastern Division of the SEC."
Dylla and Gonzalez paced a Georgia offensive attack that posted its second-highest hitting percentage of the season at .393 with 39 kills and just six errors on 84 attacks. Neither Dylla nor Gonzalez recorded an error as Dylla's 10 kills came on a career-best .769 hitting percentage and Gonzalez's 10 kills came on a .500 clip. Aiding the output, redshirt freshman Kathleen Luft added seven kills with just one error at a .400 mark.
In addition to tying for the team lead in kills, Gonzalez's four blocks was also best among the Bulldogs on Sunday. With the four stops, Gonzalez becomes only the second player in school history to record 400 career blocks assists as she stands at 400 exactly over the course of her four years at UGA. With five matches remaining, Gonzalez is just 13 blocks shy of the school record for career blocks assists of 413 held by Lital Sisso (1994-97).
Behind Gonzalez, Georgia out-blocked South Carolina 7.0 to 1.0, and the showing was supported by three stops apiece from Dylla and junior setter Kathleen Gates. Dylla also moved up the career blocks assists charts with her three blocks as she now stands fifth with 321 over her three-year career.
Also of note for UGA, junior libero Carla Tietz provided a team-best eight digs to accompany the change in the school record books as she now ranks tied 10th all-time at UGA in digs with 1,167 (Dianne Rhode, 1983-86).
The Gamecocks were led Sunday by Hannah Lawing and Juliette Thevenin. Lawing provided USC with a double-double with a match-best 12 kills and 11 digs while Thevenin added 11 kills.
Up next, Georgia continues its four-match home stand against Kennesaw State (16-9) on Tuesday. First serve between the Bulldogs and the Owls is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and admission is free.
