Bulldogs Open Road Swing at Nebraska

Georgia (2-1)
at the Ameritas Players Challenge
Dates: Friday, Sept. 3-Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021
Location: Lincoln, Neb.
Arena: Devaney Center
Participating Teams:
     Georgia, Arizona State, No. 4 Nebraska, Omaha
Georgia's Tournament Schedule:
     Friday:
     10 a.m., ET – vs. Arizona State
     7 p.m., ET – at #4 Nebraska
     Saturday:
     4:30 p.m., ET – vs. Omaha

Media Information
TV: Big 10 Network (Nebraska match)
     Play-by-play: Larry Punteney
     Analysis: Salima Rockwell
Streaming Video: BTN+ (vs. Arizona State, vs. Omaha)
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter: @UGAvolleyball

First Serve
Georgia volleyball hits the road this weekend for three matches in Lincoln, Nebraska as part of the Ameritas Players Challenge hosted by the University of Nebraska.

The Bulldogs will play two matches on Friday, beginning at 10 a.m., ET, against Arizona State. Georgia then takes on host No. 4 Nebraska at 7 p.m. from the Devaney Center. Play in Lincoln ends on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. against Omaha.

Follow the Bulldogs
» Friday's match against No. 4 Nebraska will air on Big 10 Network. Larry Punteney (play-by-play) and Salima Rockwell (analysis) will be on the call. The match will stream live via the Big 10 Network digital extension on the Fox Sports app.
» Georgia's matches against Arizona State and Omaha will stream live on BTN+. Fans can purchase a monthly subscription to watch both matches.
» A free live audio stream with Nebraska's radio team of John Baylor and Lauren Cook West will be available for Nebraska matches. The pregame show begins 30 minutes before first serve.
» Live stat 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 the Bulldogs, @UGAvolleyball.

BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series Histories
Arizona State
- First meeting between Georgia and Arizona State
Nebraska
- Georgia trails all-time series 0-5
- The Bulldogs have traveled to Lincoln four times in the all-time series: 1991, 1993, 2000, 2013
- One neutral meeting was in Laramie, Wyoming in 1995
- Nebraska has held a ranking of No. 15 or higher (including No. 1 in 1995) each time Georgia has played the Huskers
Omaha
- First meeting between Georgia and Omaha

A Look at What's Ahead
Georgia continues its road swing when it travels to Orlando, Florida for the UCF Invitational next week. The Bulldogs open play in Orlando Thursday evening against Florida State. Friday's action continues with a 5:30 p.m. match against Florida Gulf Coast. Georgia takes on host UCF in the final match on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Let's Recap
The Bulldogs opened the 2021 season hosting the Classic City Clash at Stegeman Coliseum last weekend. Georgia began the season earning straight-set sweeps of both Morehead State and Winthrop. The Bulldogs had their sights set on another sweep, going up two sets to none on No. 22 Pepperdine Saturday evening. The young Bulldog squad, led by four freshmen, simply ran out of gas as the Waves came back to take the final match of the tournament in five sets.

Stivrins Sisters Square off this Weekend
Junior outside hitter Amber Stivrins will face off against her big sister's Huskers when Georgia and Nebraska face off Friday evening. Lauren Stivrins, a senior middle blocker, is a three-time All-American for Nebraska. Multiple members of the Stivrins family will be in attendance in Lincoln for the tournament.

Rookies Shine on Opening Weekend
Georgia saw four freshmen play in every set on opening weekend, three starting all 11 sets. Setter Clara Brower handed out 10.09 assists per set and ran an offense that hit .299 as a team. She also contributed 17 digs and seven blocks. Outside hitter turned middle blocker Lyric Stewart tallied 2.36 kills per set, hit .467 on the weekend, and led the team with 12 blocks. Outside hitter Abby Maesch led the team with 30 kills and 2.73 kills per set. Defensive specialist Bailey cox put up 18 digs (1.64 d/s) and laid down four service aces.

Bulldogs Set for Strong 2021 Slate of Matches
Eight opponents on Georgia's schedule appeared in the 2020 NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament, three of which played in the Elite Eight round. Six of Georgia's opponents concluded the season in the AVCA Top 25 including top-10 finishers Kentucky, Florida, and Nebraska.

Blocking Improves in 2020-21
Georgia concluded the 2020-21 season ranked fourth in the SEC in blocking as a team, completing the campaign with 2.25 blocks per set. It was the highest finish in the category under Tom Black. SEC All-Freshman Team member Phoebe Awoleye finished top-five in the league with 1.05 blocks per set as a rookie.

Breaking Down the Roster
The Bulldogs' roster features 17 student-athletes with a mix of experienced and new talent. Overall, each position on the court comes with a significant amount of depth. The roster breaks down to five seniors, three juniors and sophomores each, and a total of six freshman, five of which are true freshmen. Position wise, the Bulldogs have a near perfect mix at each position. Georgia returns five starters plus its starting libero from last season.

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Players Mentioned

Phoebe Awoleye

Clara Brower

Abby Maesch

Lyric Stewart

Amber Stivrins