Bulldogs Drop Four-Set Decision to Aggies, 3-1

Friday, March 12

Athens, Ga.

7:00 p.m.

University of Georgia

Texas A&M

Photo by: Tony Walsh

March 12, 2021 | Volleyball

Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia volleyball team dropped a four-set match against the Texas A&M Aggies Friday at Stegeman Coliseum (23-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-22).

The Bulldogs won set two of the match, snapping a 17-set losing skid this spring. In total, Friday's match featured 27 ties and 12 lead changes.

Sophomore Kacie Evans registered a season-high 17 kills. She also registered nine digs in the contest. Sophomore Amber Stivrins put up a spring-high 14 kills with two blocks.

Redshirt-junior Clarie Rothenberger put up a career-best 20 digs. Setter Dalaney Hans picked up her first career double-double with 19 assists and a career-best 16 digs. Freshman Mallory Downing earned a season-best 12 digs.

Back-to-back Aggies aces in the opening stanza opened a five-point lead for Texas A&M and Georgia called a quick timeout. Down 10-5, three-straight points including a kill and ace from Evans cut the lead to two, 10-8. A Bulldog block and an ace from Rothenberger sparked a 4-0 run for Georgia to tie the set at 12 all and force an Aggie timeout. Georgia worked to take a 15-14 lead, but Texas A&M quickly regained the advantage. Knotted at 20, Texas A&M won three-straight to inch closer to set point. Georgia made it close, but in the end, the Aggies took the opening stanza 25-23. The set featured 10 ties and three lead changes. Evans tallied six kills in the opening set on 10 attempts.

A five-point Georgia run early in the second set opened a 7-3 lead for the Bulldogs. With Georgia ahead 12-7, Texas A&M sliced the lead to one with a 4-0 run and forced a Georgia timeout. Georgia never relinquished the lead and rolled to a 25-22 win in set two, snapping a 17-set losing skid. Stivrins entered the match late in set one and tallied six kills in the second set.

The start of the third set was close before Texas A&M began to build a lead on the Bulldogs. Georgia pulled it within one, 14-13, then the Aggies responded with three-straight to reopen a four-point lead. With Texas A&M ahead 23-18, four-straight Georgia points, including three-straight kills from Evans, made it a one-point set down the stretch, 23-22. The Aggies were able to fend off the Bulldogs and win the set 25-22 and take a 2-1 lead in the match. Evans led the offense again with seven kills in the frame.

Down 10-7 in the fourth, Georgia used a 4-0 run to take its first lead of the set, 11-10. The run consisted of a block and two kills from Stivrins on the outside. The run continued to seven-straight as Georgia found a 14-10 lead on the Aggies. With the Bulldogs ahead 16-12, a 7-1 Aggie run gave Texas A&M the 19-17 advantage. Georgia kept the set close but never regain the lead as Texas A&M went on to win the set 25-22 and the match in four sets.

Georgia and Texas A&M will play the final match of the series Saturday at 7 p.m. at Stegeman Coliseum.

Head Coach Tom Black
On the two-and-a-half-week break ...
"I think it helped us a lot. It gave us time to train and hit the reset button. Obviously, it was a blow with the virus stuff right before the match, but that's obviously life, too. So, we've got to be able to deal with that. We didn't have Phoebe (Awoleye) and Sage (Naves) here, our starting middles. Luckily, we had Kianna Young and Kaylah House, so they're obviously good players too, and we were lucky to have them in there. That's how we did it."

On winning set two ...
"We played better tonight for sure, so that's what we have to hold on to. I expect us to play even better tomorrow. Our offense was a lot better today. Our serving was inconsistent, but when it was on, we were putting a lot of pressure on them. We just have to build on that tomorrow."

Sophomore OH Kacie Evans
On her performance tonight ...
"I felt pretty good about it; it just sucks that we couldn't get the W on our side of the chart tonight ... I've been working so hard at practice to make sure I get that (average kill number) and help my team, and also to basically just be there for everybody. I've just wanted to prove to everyone in the SEC that I'm back, and I'm still going to compete."

On winning set two ...
"We proved that we're going to take a set away from anybody. We are tough. We are going to compete harder. Plus, we're at the Steg; we're home. We need to really show how we can all bring the community and everyone else together and have that fight and be able to stay in the game and basically keep winning and winning and winning. We're in a good place, and we're in a really good conference."

On how to build on tonight headed into tomorrow ...
"I think we did a really good job in the first set that we won and coming up in the third and fourth set. But unfortunately, they were balls that either served high or over. We were inconsistent at times; but when we were on, we were on. I would say probably making more simple plays. We know we can do better than that, and we can just respond tomorrow."