Bulldogs’ Homestand Concludes with 3-0 Loss to No. 3 Kentucky

Sunday, February 14

Athens, Ga.

3:00 p.m.

University of Georgia

4-8,4-8SEC

Kentucky

12-0,12-0SEC

Kentucky

Georgia

Bulldogs’ Homestand Concludes with 3-0 Loss to No. 3 Kentucky

February 14, 2021 | Volleyball

Box Score Kentucky 3 Georgia 0 Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia women's volleyball dropped a 3-0 decision to No. 3 Kentucky Sunday at Stegeman Coliseum to wrap up the two-match series at Stegeman Coliseum (21-25, 10-25, 15-25).

Sunday's match concludes a four-match homestand to open the spring season for Georgia.

Senior Rachel Ritchie and sophomore Kacie Evans each tallied eight kills to co-lead the Bulldogs' offense Sunday.

Defensively, junior libero Claire Rothenberger put up 13 digs, a match best. Senior setter Brynn Chandler concluded with nine digs.

A 7-1 Kentucky run early in the opening stanza quickly put the Bulldogs at a deficit and prompted a timeout at 7-3 in the first. Down 22-15 in the set, Rothenberger went on a 4-0 serving run, capped by a service ace, prompting Kentucky to use a timeout. Out of the break, Kaylah House and Phoebe Awoleye combined for a block on the right side to slice the lead to two, 22-20. Kentucky halted the advancing Bulldogs, taking the opening set 25-21. Six of Rothenberger's 13 total digs came in the opening set and Georgia put up three blocks to begin the match.

Up 10-5, Kentucky rolled on a 12-2 run to break open the second set, 22-7. Kills by Evans and Ritchie came down the stretch, but the deficit was too much as Kentucky went ahead two sets with a 25-10 set two win.

Georgia hung with the Wildcats to begin the third set. A kill by Mallory Hernandez and a block from Kayla Rivera and Awoleye tied the set at 7-7. Kentucky responded with six-straight points to capture a 13-7 lead, prompting Georgia's second timeout of the set. Georgia won three of the next five rallies out of the timeout, 15-10. Kentucky kept the Bulldogs at bay in the third, running to a 25-15 win and completing the sweep.

Up next, Georgia will travel to Columbia, Missouri for a two-match series with the Missouri Tigers next Friday and Saturday. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m., ET, start times.

Georgia Head Volleyball Coach Tom Black
Lessons learned from Sunday's match...
"I thought the first and last third of the match today was a lot tougher. Serving was probably our bright spot for the weekend, so that was good. It's good to get Claire [Rothenberger] back this weekend. I think she will continue to play better as she gets back in a rhythm. You know losing Amber [Stivrins] is a huge blow, but I thought Rachel [Ricthie] and Kacie [Evans] gave us a good level of effort. We just have to keep building. We have got to get better at everything."

On what was working in the opening set…
"Serving. We were giving them a ton of trouble serving. We were more in system. I think our hitters were doing a good job on what their block was giving us."

Senior outside hitter Rachel Ritchie
On Sunday's match…
"I mean obviously not the outcome that we wanted, but I think the first step was just to kind of get back our rhythm, get back our fire and our passion for the game. So, I thought we did a lot better of that today than we did yesterday. But again, it's just kind of like, you can't just have some people performing and some people not, it's all about a team. So, just working on how much better we can all put in our efforts together."