University of Georgia Athletics
Friday, September 28
Oxford, Miss
7 p.m.
University of Georgia
at
Ole Miss
Bulldogs Set for Ole Miss, South Carolina This Weekend
September 27, 2018 | Volleyball
Georgia (10-3, 1-1)
at Ole Miss (10-5, 0-1)
Date: Friday, Sept. 28, 2018
Time: 7 p.m., ET
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: Gillom Athletics Center
Media Information
TV: SEC Network (Melissa Lee, Missy Whittemore)
Streaming Video: SEC Network+
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
vs. South Carolina (11-1, 2-0)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Athens, Ga.
Arena: Stegeman Coliseum
Media Information
Streaming Video: SEC Network+ (Kaleb Frady, Nikki Nicholson Chester)
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates:@UGAvolleyball
First Serve
Georgia volleyball (10-3, 1-1) travels to Oxford, Mississippi Friday for a matchup with Ole Miss (10-5, 0-1) on SEC Network. The Bulldogs return home to Stegeman Coliseum to host South Carolina (11-1, 2-0) on Sunday.
First serve from Oxford is slated for 7 p.m., ET, from the Gillom Athletics Performance Center against the Rebel. Georgia's match against South Carolina will begin at 2 p.m. at Stegeman Coliseum Sunday.
This Weekend's Promotions
Sunday, Sept. 30 vs. South Carolina
• FREE admission
• Daddy & Daughter Day
• Kids are welcome to line the tunnel when the Bulldogs run out
Follow the Bulldogs
• Friday's match will air nationally on the SEC Network. Melissa Lee will provide play-by-play as Missy Whittemore will provide analysis.
• Both matches this weekend will be streamed live on the SEC Network+. Kaleb Frady (play-by-play) and Nikki Nicholson Chester (analysis) will be on the call Sunday afternoon.
• Live stats will be available for both matches this weekend. 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.
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series Histories
Ole Miss
• Georgia leads the series 41-20.
• Georgia's record in Oxford is 16-11.
• The Rebels have won six of the last seven meetings.
• Georgia and Ole Miss met three times last season. The Rebels won the first meeting in five sets in Oxford before Georgia swept the second in Athens a month later. The final meeting came in Oxford in the third round of the NIVC; Ole Miss won in straight sets.
• Last year's victory over Ole Miss was the first since 2013.
South Carolina
• Georgia leads the series 48-21.
• In Columbia, Georgia is 20-11 all time.
• Georgia won last season's lone meeting in five sets.
• The teams have split the last eight meetings.
A Look at What's Ahead
Georgia will begin a three-match road stretch to open the month of October. The stretch begins Oct. 3 at Auburn followed by a trip to #11 Florida Oct. 7. The road swing concludes with a rematch agianst LSU in Baton Rouge Oct. 10 before returning home against Texas A&M Sunday, Oct. 14.
Let's Recap
SEC play opened last weekend across the league. Georgia hosted LSU in a five-set matchup. The Bulldogs opened the match winning both sets but LSU surged to tie the match up and force a fifth set. Georgia prevailed in the final set, 15-11, to open SEC play 1-0. The Bulldogs then flew to Texas A&M for another five-set affair. Georgia fell behind 2-0 but regrouped to fire the offense, forcing a fifth set. The Aggies were able to stop the Georgia momentum to take the fifth set, 15-9.
All Hail Ceasar
T'ara Ceasar hasn't skipped a beat after a breakout freshman campaign. The sophomore ranks 21st nationally, third in the league, with 4.41 kills per set. Her 225 total kills ranks second in the SEC and 21st in the country. She has scored 4.97 points per sent, a figure that ranks second in the SEC and 17th in NCAA.
Helping Hands
Junior setter Meghan Donovan's 11.31 assists per set ranks 15th in the country while leading the SEC in the category. Donovan recently moved up the career top-10 list in assists. She currently has 2,962. She will become only the seventh Bulldog setter to tip the 3,000-assist mark in her career. Her 10.58 assists/set in her career ranks 12th among active Division I setters.
Aces Wild
Georgia ranks 19th in the country, second in the SEC, with 1.75 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. Middle blocker Anna Kate Karstens ranks seventh in the league with a 0.34 aces/set clip. Against Texas Tech, Kendall Glover tied a Georgia rally scoring record with seven aces in a three-set match.
Georgia in Non-Conference Play
The Bulldogs concluded non-conference play 9-2 including five sweeps. Georgia's lone losses came in five-set matches. As a team, Georgia hit .254 against its opponents with 13.83 kills per set. The non-conference season was highlighted by a victory over then-#24 Colorado. Georgia won three of four tournaments. T'ara Ceasar earned two MVP titles while Meghan Donovan had one. Donovan was named SEC Setter of the Week three times during the non-conference span.
AVCA Top 25 Poll
The Bulldogs received votes three AVCA Top 25 Coaches Polls this season. Georgia last cracked the Top 25 in 1995, achieving a season-high ranking of 22. The highest the Bulldogs have ever been ranked was #13 in 1993.
Donovan Earns Third Setter of the Week
For the third time this season, Meghan Donovan has been named the SEC Setter of the Week. The St. Louis native dished out 12.3 assists per set at the Georgia Tech Classic, running a Bulldog offense that hit .298 in eight sets played. In the five-set loss to Georgia Tech, Donovan recorded a new career-best 57 assists. In the fourth set of the match, Georgia hit .593 to force a fifth set after being down 2-0. In Saturday's sweep of NC State, Donovan recorded 42 assists, a season-high for a three-set match. Georgia also had a season-best .328 hitting percentage against the Wolfpack.
Donovan, Ceasar Earn SEC Honors
Meghan Donovan (Player/Setter of the Week) and T'ara Ceasar (Offensive Player of the Week) each earned recognition from the SEC for their efforts at the Buffs Invitational. Donovan dished out 11.7 assists per set and ran an offense that hit .202 on the weekend. In Friday's match at #24 Colorado, she tied a career-best 56 assists as the Bulldogs hit .287. She recorded her fourth double-double of the season in Saturday's match against Oklahoma with 50 assists and 12 digs. She finished the weekend with 25 digs (1.92 digs/set). She also contributed nine blocks on the weekend. Ceasar earned her first SEC Offensive Player of the Week award of her career. The Buffs Invitational MVP recorded 4.38 kills per set over the weekend. The weekend started with Ceasar recording 22 kills (tying season high) while hitting .362 in the win over #24 Colorado. In Saturday's match against Oklahoma, she tallied 21 kills with 13 digs for her third double-double of the season.
A Perfect Start... Again
Georgia last opened a season 7-0 in 2016, when it opened 8-0. That was also Georgia's last winning streak of seven or more matches. UGA has opened a season 6-0 or better seven times in its history.
SEC Preseason Poll
The Bulldogs were picked to finish in the top four of the Southeastern Conference, garnering 105 points in voting by the league's head coaches. 2017 co-champion Kentucky, picking up eight first-place votes and 140 points, has been chosen to win the league in 2018. The Bulldogs were picked tied with LSU with 105 points.
Ceasar Tabbed Preseason All-SEC
Sophomore T'ara Ceasar was voted Preseason All-SEC by the league's head coaches. As a freshman, she was an All-SEC and All-Freshman Team pick, becoming the first All-SEC freshman Bulldog since Jasmine Eatmon in 2012. She became the first in Georgia history to receive seven SEC weekly honors in one season, breaking the previous record of two by a freshman Bulldog. Ceasar was named to the 2017 AVCA All-Southeast Region Team, finishing the season as the highest-ranked freshman nationally in kills (4.14) and points per set (4.79).
Breaking Down the Roster
Georgia returns five starters plus a libero in 2018. In all, 11 letterwinners return. The squad features Preseason All-SEC outside hitter T'ara Ceasar and AVCA All-Southeast Region honorable mention setter Meghan Donovan. A strong sophomore class featuring Ceasar, Rachel Ritchie, and Kendall Glover look to help guide Georgia to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013. New to the roster in 2018 is a trio of true freshmen in middle blocker Sage Naves (Agoura Hills, Calif.), outside Kayla Rivera (Ventura, Calif.), and opposite Mallory Hernandez (Fishers, Ind.).
at Ole Miss (10-5, 0-1)
Date: Friday, Sept. 28, 2018
Time: 7 p.m., ET
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: Gillom Athletics Center
Media Information
TV: SEC Network (Melissa Lee, Missy Whittemore)
Streaming Video: SEC Network+
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
vs. South Carolina (11-1, 2-0)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Athens, Ga.
Arena: Stegeman Coliseum
Media Information
Streaming Video: SEC Network+ (Kaleb Frady, Nikki Nicholson Chester)
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates:@UGAvolleyball
First Serve
Georgia volleyball (10-3, 1-1) travels to Oxford, Mississippi Friday for a matchup with Ole Miss (10-5, 0-1) on SEC Network. The Bulldogs return home to Stegeman Coliseum to host South Carolina (11-1, 2-0) on Sunday.
First serve from Oxford is slated for 7 p.m., ET, from the Gillom Athletics Performance Center against the Rebel. Georgia's match against South Carolina will begin at 2 p.m. at Stegeman Coliseum Sunday.
This Weekend's Promotions
Sunday, Sept. 30 vs. South Carolina
• FREE admission
• Daddy & Daughter Day
• Kids are welcome to line the tunnel when the Bulldogs run out
Follow the Bulldogs
• Friday's match will air nationally on the SEC Network. Melissa Lee will provide play-by-play as Missy Whittemore will provide analysis.
• Both matches this weekend will be streamed live on the SEC Network+. Kaleb Frady (play-by-play) and Nikki Nicholson Chester (analysis) will be on the call Sunday afternoon.
• Live stats will be available for both matches this weekend. 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.
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series Histories
Ole Miss
• Georgia leads the series 41-20.
• Georgia's record in Oxford is 16-11.
• The Rebels have won six of the last seven meetings.
• Georgia and Ole Miss met three times last season. The Rebels won the first meeting in five sets in Oxford before Georgia swept the second in Athens a month later. The final meeting came in Oxford in the third round of the NIVC; Ole Miss won in straight sets.
• Last year's victory over Ole Miss was the first since 2013.
South Carolina
• Georgia leads the series 48-21.
• In Columbia, Georgia is 20-11 all time.
• Georgia won last season's lone meeting in five sets.
• The teams have split the last eight meetings.
A Look at What's Ahead
Georgia will begin a three-match road stretch to open the month of October. The stretch begins Oct. 3 at Auburn followed by a trip to #11 Florida Oct. 7. The road swing concludes with a rematch agianst LSU in Baton Rouge Oct. 10 before returning home against Texas A&M Sunday, Oct. 14.
Let's Recap
SEC play opened last weekend across the league. Georgia hosted LSU in a five-set matchup. The Bulldogs opened the match winning both sets but LSU surged to tie the match up and force a fifth set. Georgia prevailed in the final set, 15-11, to open SEC play 1-0. The Bulldogs then flew to Texas A&M for another five-set affair. Georgia fell behind 2-0 but regrouped to fire the offense, forcing a fifth set. The Aggies were able to stop the Georgia momentum to take the fifth set, 15-9.
All Hail Ceasar
T'ara Ceasar hasn't skipped a beat after a breakout freshman campaign. The sophomore ranks 21st nationally, third in the league, with 4.41 kills per set. Her 225 total kills ranks second in the SEC and 21st in the country. She has scored 4.97 points per sent, a figure that ranks second in the SEC and 17th in NCAA.
Helping Hands
Junior setter Meghan Donovan's 11.31 assists per set ranks 15th in the country while leading the SEC in the category. Donovan recently moved up the career top-10 list in assists. She currently has 2,962. She will become only the seventh Bulldog setter to tip the 3,000-assist mark in her career. Her 10.58 assists/set in her career ranks 12th among active Division I setters.
Aces Wild
Georgia ranks 19th in the country, second in the SEC, with 1.75 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. Middle blocker Anna Kate Karstens ranks seventh in the league with a 0.34 aces/set clip. Against Texas Tech, Kendall Glover tied a Georgia rally scoring record with seven aces in a three-set match.
Georgia in Non-Conference Play
The Bulldogs concluded non-conference play 9-2 including five sweeps. Georgia's lone losses came in five-set matches. As a team, Georgia hit .254 against its opponents with 13.83 kills per set. The non-conference season was highlighted by a victory over then-#24 Colorado. Georgia won three of four tournaments. T'ara Ceasar earned two MVP titles while Meghan Donovan had one. Donovan was named SEC Setter of the Week three times during the non-conference span.
AVCA Top 25 Poll
The Bulldogs received votes three AVCA Top 25 Coaches Polls this season. Georgia last cracked the Top 25 in 1995, achieving a season-high ranking of 22. The highest the Bulldogs have ever been ranked was #13 in 1993.
Donovan Earns Third Setter of the Week
For the third time this season, Meghan Donovan has been named the SEC Setter of the Week. The St. Louis native dished out 12.3 assists per set at the Georgia Tech Classic, running a Bulldog offense that hit .298 in eight sets played. In the five-set loss to Georgia Tech, Donovan recorded a new career-best 57 assists. In the fourth set of the match, Georgia hit .593 to force a fifth set after being down 2-0. In Saturday's sweep of NC State, Donovan recorded 42 assists, a season-high for a three-set match. Georgia also had a season-best .328 hitting percentage against the Wolfpack.
Donovan, Ceasar Earn SEC Honors
Meghan Donovan (Player/Setter of the Week) and T'ara Ceasar (Offensive Player of the Week) each earned recognition from the SEC for their efforts at the Buffs Invitational. Donovan dished out 11.7 assists per set and ran an offense that hit .202 on the weekend. In Friday's match at #24 Colorado, she tied a career-best 56 assists as the Bulldogs hit .287. She recorded her fourth double-double of the season in Saturday's match against Oklahoma with 50 assists and 12 digs. She finished the weekend with 25 digs (1.92 digs/set). She also contributed nine blocks on the weekend. Ceasar earned her first SEC Offensive Player of the Week award of her career. The Buffs Invitational MVP recorded 4.38 kills per set over the weekend. The weekend started with Ceasar recording 22 kills (tying season high) while hitting .362 in the win over #24 Colorado. In Saturday's match against Oklahoma, she tallied 21 kills with 13 digs for her third double-double of the season.
A Perfect Start... Again
Georgia last opened a season 7-0 in 2016, when it opened 8-0. That was also Georgia's last winning streak of seven or more matches. UGA has opened a season 6-0 or better seven times in its history.
SEC Preseason Poll
The Bulldogs were picked to finish in the top four of the Southeastern Conference, garnering 105 points in voting by the league's head coaches. 2017 co-champion Kentucky, picking up eight first-place votes and 140 points, has been chosen to win the league in 2018. The Bulldogs were picked tied with LSU with 105 points.
Ceasar Tabbed Preseason All-SEC
Sophomore T'ara Ceasar was voted Preseason All-SEC by the league's head coaches. As a freshman, she was an All-SEC and All-Freshman Team pick, becoming the first All-SEC freshman Bulldog since Jasmine Eatmon in 2012. She became the first in Georgia history to receive seven SEC weekly honors in one season, breaking the previous record of two by a freshman Bulldog. Ceasar was named to the 2017 AVCA All-Southeast Region Team, finishing the season as the highest-ranked freshman nationally in kills (4.14) and points per set (4.79).
Breaking Down the Roster
Georgia returns five starters plus a libero in 2018. In all, 11 letterwinners return. The squad features Preseason All-SEC outside hitter T'ara Ceasar and AVCA All-Southeast Region honorable mention setter Meghan Donovan. A strong sophomore class featuring Ceasar, Rachel Ritchie, and Kendall Glover look to help guide Georgia to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013. New to the roster in 2018 is a trio of true freshmen in middle blocker Sage Naves (Agoura Hills, Calif.), outside Kayla Rivera (Ventura, Calif.), and opposite Mallory Hernandez (Fishers, Ind.).
Players Mentioned
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