University of Georgia Athletics
University of Georgia
11-1
McNeese State
3-11
Georgia Sweeps Bulldog Invitational
September 17, 2016 | Volleyball
Highlights from Georgia's 3-1 victory over South Alabama.
Sept. 17, 2016
Final Stats vs. McNeese State | Final Stats vs. South Alabama | Photo Gallery 
ATHENS, Ga. --- The Georgia Bulldogs (12-1) capped off a perfect non-conference home record handily defeating the McNeese State Cowgirls and the South Alabama Jaguars by scores of 3-1 on their way to a perfect weekend and their best start since 1993.
With scores of 24-26, 25-17, 25-20, 25-20 against the Cowgirls in the afternoon tilt, and 25-27, 25-17, 25-22, 25-20 against the Jaguars, the Bulldogs completed the doubleheader sweep, propelling the squad to their fourth win in a row.
"I think our group got a lot stronger as the weekend went on," said head coach Lizzy Stemke. "The combination against a great South Alabama team was a great win for us. It was overall a great weekend, and I think we are ready for conference."
Desiree McCray was named MVP of the Bulldog Invitational after hitting .468 over the three games with 26 total kills and eight blocks. Cassidy Anderson and Meghan Donovan earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team as well, with Anderson posting 54 digs and Donovan dishing out 112 assists, 37 digs, 18 digs and seven blocks.
Against McNeese State, a sluggish start had the Bulldogs fall behind 17-12. Georgia would claw back to tie the first set at 23 before ultimately dropping the opening set 26-24. The Bulldogs reclaimed momentum with a hot start in the second set and would carry it through the remainder of the match. Behind Donovan's 40 assists and 13 digs and Majesti Bass's career-high 19 kills, the Bulldogs defeated the Cowgirls 3-1.
In the first set of the nightcap, the Bulldogs were beneficiaries of numerous unforced South Alabama errors but were unable to capitalize, falling 27-25. It was a much cleaner played second set and the Bulldogs were able to cruise to a 25-17 victory, tying the match at one set apiece. Despite narrowly taking the third set 25-22, the Bulldogs, led by Kendall Kazor's 13 kills, were able to close out the Jaguars in a fourth set 25-20 win to earn their 12th victory of the season.
Looking to build upon their fast start, the Bulldogs will open up SEC play on the road next week. Georgia will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, on Wednesday and take on the Kentucky Wildcats at 8:00 pm ET at the Memorial Coliseum. The match will be Georgia's first televised match, set for SEC Network.
HOW TO FOLLOW GEORGIA VOLLEYBALL: For complete information on Georgia volleyball, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGAVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram and UGAVolleyball on Facebook and Snapchat.
