Georgia Welcomes Auburn, #13 Florida

Georgia (13-12, 4-10)
vs. Auburn (10-15, 3-12)
Date: Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Athens, Ga.
Arena: Stegeman Coliseum

Media Information
Streaming Video: SEC Network+
     Play-by-play: Kaleb Frady
     Analysis: Nikki Chester
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com

vs. #13 Florida (21-5, 12-2)
Date: Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Athens, Ga.
Arena: Stegeman Coliseum

Media Information
TV: SEC Network
Streaming Video: SEC Network+
     Play-by-play: Same Gore
     Analysis: Dain Blanton
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com

Twitter Updates: @UGAvolleyball

First Serve
Georgia volleyball (13-12, 4-10) begins the final stretch of the season at home beginning Thursday at Stegeman Coliseum.

The Bulldogs welcome Auburn (10-15, 3-12) to Athens Thursday evening at 7 p.m. to begin the homestand. Georgia then plays host to #13 Florida Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.

Follow the Bulldogs
• Thursday's match will be streamed live via the SEC Network+. Kaleb Frady will provide play-by-play while Nikki Nicholson Chester will provide analysis.
• Sunday's match will air nationally on the SEC Network. Sam Gore will provide play-by-play while Dain Blanton will provide analysis.
• Live stats will be available for both matches. Links can be found on the volleyball schedule on GeorgiaDogs.com.
• Twitter updates will be available all season long on the official Twitter page of Georgia volleyball, @UGAvolleyball.

This Weekend's Promotions
• Admission to home volleyball matches is FREE
Thursday, Nov. 15 vs. Auburn
• RED OUT - Fans are encouraged to wear red to the match
• First 300 University of Georgia students receive either Chick-fil-A, Raising Canes, or Smoothie King
• Balloon artist and face painter on the concourse before the match
Sunday, Nov. 18 vs. Florida
• Light Up The Steg - First 500 fans receive a light-up LED lanyard
• Bonus student rewards points
• Kids line the tunnel before the match
• Balloon artist and face painter on the concourse before the match

BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series Histories
Auburn
• Georgia leads the all-time series 36-18.
• Auburn has won four of the last five meetings.
• The Bulldogs snapped a four-match losing streak to the Tigers with a five-set victory on Oct. 3 in Auburn.
• In the last 10 meetings, Auburn leads 6-4.
• Early in the series (1979-1995) Georgia won a stretch of 14 matches against Auburn.
• From 2000 to 2009, Georgia had only lost one of 15 matches.
Florida
• Florida leads the series 64-9.
• Georgia has lost 61 of the last 62 meetings with the Gators. The lone win came on Oct. 26, 2008 in five sets.
• Florida has swept the Bulldogs in 12 of the last 13 meetings.
• Georgia took Florida to five sets in Gainesville on Oct. 7. It was the first time Georgia won a set against Florida since Oct. 17, 2010.
• In last season's match, Georgia dropped a close second set 25-23 and took Florida to extra points in the third, 27-25.
• Georgia won eight of the first 11 matches of the series from 1978-1990.

A Look at What's Ahead
The 2018 season will come to a close next week at Stegeman Coliseum. Thanksgiving week features matchups with Arkansas on Wednesday followed by the season finale against Mississippi State on Friday. Friday's match will feature recognition of five Georgia seniors prior to the match.

Let's Recap
The Bulldogs played their final road matches of the season last weekend in the Midwest. Georgia dropped a three-set match at Arkansas on Friday. In the final road match at #24 Missouri on Sunday, Georgia fell in four sets but the Bulldogs were close to beating the ranked Tigers. Georgia led very early thanks to an 11-1 run to capture a 12-3 lead on the Tigers in the first set. Missouri regrouped and stole the set away from the Bulldogs, 26-24. Georgia tied the match with a 25-22 win in set two. In the third, Georgia drew set point, 24-20, but Missouri strung together a 6-1 run to swipe the set away. Rachel Ritchie led the offense with 15 kills while Majesti Bass was close behind with 14. Mallory Hernandez picked up 11 kills in the contest with a pair of service aces, the firsts of her career. Ritchie earned her second double-double of the season with 14 digs to complement her 15 kills. Claire Rothenberger tied a season-high 18 digs. The Bulldogs had 13 team blocks, led by eight each from Anna Kate Karstens and Kianna Young (career high).

Looking for Another Strong Finish
In 2017, Tom Black's first season at Georgia, the Bulldogs concluded the conference season winning five of their last seven matches with both losses coming to Kentucky. All five wins were by way of sweeps for Georgia. The team entered the month of November under .500 at 5-6 to finish the regular season 10-8 in SEC play, fifth in the league.

BLock Party at 'Bama
The Bulldogs recorded a season-high 14 blocks at Alabama on Nov. 2. Georgia was led on the net by eight blocks from Anna Kate Karstens (season-high) and a career-best six blocks from Kianna Young. Majesti Bass and Meghan Donovan also added four each. In the match, Georgia posted seven blocks in the second set alone in the match.

Diggin' It
Georgia's 14.38 digs per set ranks seventh in the SEC. Libero Kendall Glover's 4.09 average comes in at sixth in the league. Georgia has had four or more tip the double-digit dig mark seven times, six of which have come in SEC play. Twice (at Auburn, vs. Texas A&M), Georgia has had five reach the mark.

Going the Distance
Seven SEC matches have gone to five sets this season. In all, the Bulldogs have played 10 five-set matches, going 3-7 in those contests. Seven of Georgia's losses on the season have come in five sets. In four of the fifth-set losses, Georgia has lost by three points or less.

Helping Hands
Junior setter Meghan Donovan's 11.01 assists per set ranks 28th in the country while ranking second in the SEC. In the match at Ole Miss on Sept. 28, Donovan notched her 3,000th-career assist. She became only the seventh Bulldog setter to tip the 3,000-assist mark in her career. She has recorded 1,000 assists in her of her three seasons in a Bulldog uniform. Her 10.57 assists/set in her career ranks 17th among active Division I setters. She recorded a new career-best 62 assists at Auburn on Oct. 3. As a team, Georgia ranks fifth in the conference with 12.47 assists per set.

The Steg is Rockin'
Georgia ranks sixth in the SEC with an average attendance of 1,239 per match. That figure ranks 36th in the country for average attendance. So far this season, 9,909 have flocked to Stegeman Coliseum to cheer on Georgia volleyball in eight matches in Athens.

Aces Wild
Georgia ranks 54th in the country, third in the SEC, with 1.49 aces per set. The Bulldogs have picked up where they left off a season ago at the service line as they averaged 1.57 aces per set to lead the league. Against Texas Tech, Kendall Glover tied a Georgia rally scoring record with seven aces in a three-set match.

University of Georgia Athletics

Players Mentioned

Majesti Bass

Meghan Donovan

Kendall Glover

Mallory Hernandez

Anna Kate Karstens

Rachel Ritchie

Claire Rothenberger

Kianna Young

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