Georgia Travels to Orlando for UCF Invitational

Georgia (3-3)
at the UCF Invitational
Dates: Thursday, Sept. 9-Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021
Location: Orlando, Fla.
Arena: The Venue at UCF
Participating Teams:
     Georgia, Florida State, Florida Gulf Coast, UCF
Georgia's Tournament Schedule:
     Thursday: 6 p.m. – vs. Florida State
     Friday: 5:30 p.m., ET – vs. Florida Gulf Coast
     Saturday: 3 p.m., ET – at UCF

Media Information
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter: @UGAvolleyball

First Serve
Georgia volleyball continues its road swing this week when it travels to Orlando for the UCF Invitational. The Bulldogs will take on a trio of teams from the Sunshine State beginning Thursday evening.

The Bulldogs open play in Orlando Thursday at 6 p.m. against Florida State. Georgia then plays an undefeated Florida Gulf Coast squad Friday at 5:30 p.m. The Bulldogs will close play of the UCF Invitational against the host Knights Saturday at 3 p.m.

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BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series Histories
Florida State
- Series tied at 10-10
- The series dates back to 1979 and the teams met almost every year in the 1980's and 90's
- Georgia and Florida State have not met since 2012 in Tallahassee
- Georgia is 0-4 against the Seminoles on neutral courts
Florida Gulf Coast
- Georgia leads the all-time series 2-0
- Georgia has swept both meetings
- The first meeting came in Athens in 2010; the most recent meeting was in Tom Black's first season in 2017 in Davidson, North Carolina
UCF
- Georgia leads the all-time series 5-3
- The Bulldogs are 2-0 in Orlando (1986, 2004)
- Georgia has won the three last meetings (2002, 2004, 2017)
- The 2017 meeting was in the second round of the NIVC in Athens

A Look at What's Ahead
The Bulldogs will close out non-conference play with a pair of matches at ACC foes NC State and Georgia Tech next week. Georgia will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina to play the Wolfpack on Thursday at 7 p.m. It's then on to Atlanta for a rivalry match up with No. 21 Georgia Tech next Saturday. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. against the Yellow Jackets.

Let's Recap
Georgia opened a long stretch of road matches last weekend, traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska for the Ameritas Players Challenge. Georgia took down Arizona State in a five-set thriller to open play in Nebraska Friday morning. That evening, the Bulldogs took on the hosts, the fifth-ranked Huskers. Georgia took the opening set from Nebraska but ultimately fell in four sets. Tournament action concluded Saturday with a four-set loss to Omaha. Junior outside hitters Kacie Evans and Amber Stivrins each earned All-Tournament Team accolades.

Aces Wild
The Bulldogs have had a history of excellent serving under Tom Black and 2021 has been no exception. Through six matches, Georgia is fifth in the SEC with 1.50 aces per set and third with 36 total aces. Individually, junior Amber Stivrins is also fifth in the league with 0.46 aces per set. She's second with 11 total.

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

Kacie Evans

Abby Maesch

Lyric Stewart

Amber Stivrins