Georgia Falls in Three Sets at No. 25 Missouri

Friday, February 19

Columbia, Mo.

7:00 p.m.

University of Georgia

4-9

Missouri

9-4

Georgia

Mizzou

Photo by: Tony Walsh

February 19, 2021 | Volleyball

Box Score

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Georgia women's volleyball team fell in three sets at No. 25 Missouri Friday at the Hearnes Center (23-25, 17-25, 16-25).

Georgia's offense was led by 10 kills from senior Rachel Ritchie, a spring season high. Sophomore Kacie Evans narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with nine kills and eight digs. She also had two of Georgia's four service aces. Junior Mallory Hernandez added eight kills Friday evening.

Junior libero Claire Rothenberger led the defense with nine digs while junior Sage Naves added a pair of blocks.

"We were siding out at a good clip in the first set and we made it competitive," said head coach Tom Black. "Mallory Hernandez stepped up and had a great night for us offensively. We have to keep working at being good for longer."

Missouri (9-4) jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead in the first set. Georgia (4-9) responded with four-straight points to tie the set early. Once again, Missouri recaptured the lead, but the Bulldogs stayed close to re-tie the set at 10. Georgia and Missouri then began exchanging points. Following the media timeout, Georgia came out to win the next three rallies and take its first lead of the match, 17-15. Missouri worked to re-tie it at 18, prompting a Georgia timeout. After the timeout, three-straight Tigers points put Missouri back in front and Georgia called its final timeout, 21-18. Kills from Hernandez and Ritchie, along with a Bulldog block out of the timeout knotted the set yet again at 21, forcing a timeout from the Mizzou bench. Missouri won four of the next six rallies to take the first set 25-23. The first set was tied 11 times. Ritchie had five kills in the opening set.

The Bulldogs came out in set two by taking a 3-0 lead. Missouri immediately responded with four points to go ahead, 4-3. Georgia pulled within one, 10-9, but back-to-back points by the Tigers reopened a three-point lead and Georgia called timeout, 12-9. Ahead 19-16, the Tigers wrapped up the second set on a 6-1 run to win the set 25-17 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

Georgia stayed on the Tigers' heels in set three, trailing by one at 12-11. An 8-0 run by Mizzou put the Tigers well in control of the set, 20-11. Georgia responded with three-straight, but the long Tiger run was too much to overcome for Georgia in the set as Missouri held on to secure the sweep, 25-17.

Georgia and Missouri will face off again Saturday at 8 p.m., ET, in Columbia on SEC Network.