Ole Miss Edges Georgia in Five-Set Battle

Sunday, October 1

Oxford, Miss.

2:30 PM

University of Georgia

11-6, 1-3

Ole Miss

12-5, 3-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Georgia	25	24	17	25	12	2
Ole Miss	22	26	25	22	15	3

October 01, 2017 | Volleyball

Box Score

OXFORD, Miss. – Georgia volleyball forced Ole Miss into five sets on Sunday at the Gillom Sports Center, eventually falling to the Rebels in a close 2-3 final, 25-22, 24-26, 27-25, 25-22, 12-15.

"We're disappointed in the outcome, but the ladies fought throughout," head coach Tom Black said. "We were really proud of the resolve our players showed to turn the tide in set four. We just have to continue to learn how to be good, longer."

Sophomore setter Meghan Donovan accumulated her fourth double-double on the season with 48 assists and 17 digs, along with two kills. The offense also featured four Bulldogs with double-digit kills, including a team-leading 18 from freshman T'ara Ceasar, 14 apiece from junior Majesti Bass, who also had six blocks on the day, and freshman Rachel Ritchie, and 12 from senior Amanda Dachs.

Georgia (11-6, 1-3) established the 1-0 match lead in the first set. The Bulldogs collected three consecutive points for the 18-14 advantage, with a respective kill from Dachs and Ritchie, as well as a block assist from Dachs and junior Anna Kate Karstens. Back-and-forth play continued through the end of the set, before another Dachs and Karstens block capped the opening set for the Bulldogs 25-22.

Trailing 11-2 early in the second set, Georgia acquired 10 of the next 13 points to cut the lead to two, 12-14, with kills from Houser, Bass and Ceasar. Bass powered her ninth kill of the day past the Ole Miss defense to even the match at 24, but Ole Miss (12-5, 3-1) followed with two points of its own to take the second set.

Georgia traded points with Ole Miss through the early stages of the third set, but the Rebels pulled away by the end of the frame for a 25-17 margin.

With a 2-1 match lead, Ole Miss utilized its momentum through the first half of the fourth, leading by as many as six points. Georgia fought back as Bass supplied three kills in four points for the 21-20 lead. She added on one more, complimented by two from Ceasar, to seal the 25-22 fourth as the Georgia defense held the Rebels to a .030 hitting percentage on the set.

Freshman Kianna Young and Dachs headlined Georgia's fifth set with four kills apiece, but Ole Miss notched a final 15-12 edge over the Bulldogs.

The last five-set match for Georgia came against Wofford at the Davidson Wildcat Classic this season. Georgia won the first and fourth sets in that match as well, before dropping the fifth set 10-15.

Up next for Georgia, the Bulldogs continue conference play on the road against South Carolina on Friday at 7 p.m., before completing the weekend at Florida for a 1:30 p.m. contest.