Bulldogs Defeat Kennesaw State, Wofford Saturday in Clemson

Saturday, August 31

Clemson, S.C.

12 p.m.

University of Georgia

1-1

Kennesaw State

1-1

Kennesaw State

Georgia

Photo by: Anthony Walsh

Bulldogs Defeat Kennesaw State, Wofford Saturday in Clemson

August 31, 2019 | Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Georgia 3, Kennesaw St. 2 Box Score Georgia 3, Wofford 0 Box Score

CLEMSON, S.C. – The University of Georgia volleyball team defeated Kennesaw State and Wofford Saturday afternoon to bring play at the Big Orange Bash to a close in Clemson.

Georgia concludes opening weekend 2-1 after falling to host Clemson Friday evening in three sets.

Junior outside hitter Rachel Ritchie and senior setter Meghan Donovan were named to the Big Orange Bash All-Tournament Team.

Georgia 3, Kennesaw State 2
After falling behind two sets to none in the first match of the day, Georgia completed the reverse sweep, winning the next three sets to defeat Kennesaw State (1-1) in five, 3-2 (20-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-21, 15-10).

Ritchie recorded her fifth 20-kill match of her career, finishing with 20 on the nose. Freshman Kacie Evans matched her totals from Friday evening with 13 kills, nine digs, and four blocks. Sophomore Sage Naves completed the match with 10 kills, a career best and her first double-digit kill match. Naves also contributed on five blocks to co-lead the team in the category with Kianna Young.

Donovan handed out 41 assists while leading Georgia with 10 digs, good enough for her 35^th-career double-double.

As a team, the Bulldogs posted 11 total blocks, seven of which came in the fourth set.

The Bulldogs led early in set one, but Kennesaw quickly found its way back to tie the frame at 10-10. The set remained closed until a 5-1 KSU run opened it up for the Owls who went on to win the opening stanza 25-20.

After Kayla Rivera ace started the second set off with an ace, Kennesaw grabbed the lead and held on. A string of three-straight service aces gave the Owls a 20-11 lead. Down 10, 23-13, Georgia went on a 7-0 run to pull back in the set, 23-20, but the mountain was too much, falling behind in the match by two sets, 25-21.

Georgia came out with an early lead in set three and never relinquished it to stay alive in the match. After two aces by Young put Georgia ahead 15-8, Kennesaw State drew closer with a 7-1 run, 16-15; however, Georgia was able to use four-straight to reopen a lead and ride till the end, 25-19. Evans had five kills with a .667 clip in the set.

A 4-0 run gave Kennesaw State a 10-8 lead in the fourth set, prompting a timeout from Georgia. The Bulldogs came out of the timeout with a 5-1 run to find the 13-11 lead. A 6-1 run gave Georgia a five-point lead that they used to win the fourth set and force a fifth and final frame, 25-21.  The Bulldogs put up five of their seven blocks in the fourth set down the stretch in their final six points. Young and Evans each had four in the set.

Tied at five all in the fifth, a 5-0 run by the Bulldogs put them in a good spot in the final frame. Georgia won three of the final four points to complete the comeback in five, 15-10. Ritchie and Evans had four kills each, combining for eight of the Bulldogs' 12 kills in the fifth.

Georgia 3, Wofford 0
In Georgia's first sweep of the season (25-23, 25-15, 25-7), the Bulldogs hit .354 as a team, led in kills by sophomore Mallory Hernandez with 12. Junior transfer Kaylah House and Ritchie each tallied six kills in the match.

Defensively, junior libero Kendall Glover picked up 13 digs.

After a close start to the first set, Georgia was able to open a lead thanks to back-to-back aces by Hernandez. With Georgia up 23-17, Wofford (0-3) called a timeout. After the break and with Georgia a point away from winning the set, 24-18, the Terriers won the next five points to make it a one-point game, 24-23. A Wofford service error sealed the set for the Bulldogs 25-23.

The second set was all Georgia, leading by as much as 10 in the set. The Bulldogs widened the lead in the match with a 25-15 set two victory. Hernandez led the Georgia hitters with four kills while Rivera picked up a pair of aces in the frame.

Once again, it was all Bulldogs in the third and final set. Ahead 13-6, Georgia wrapped up the match on a 12-1 run to win the set, 25-7, and complete the sweep of the Terriers.

Next up, Georgia travels west to California for three matches beginning Thursday at the Long Beach State Tournament.