Bulldogs Poised for Battle Atop the SEC

Georgia (12-3, 3-1)
at Auburn (14-1, 3-1)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 8-Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022
First Serve: 5 p.m., ET / 5 p.m., ET
Location: Auburn, Ala.
Arena: Neville Arena

Media Information
Streaming: SEC Network+ (Saturday)
   Play-by-play: JJ Jackson/Wiley Ballard
   Analysis: Kele Eveland
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter: @UGAvolleyball

First Serve
The Georgia Bulldogs hit the road for a pair of matches against fellow 3-1 team, the Auburn Tigers, this weekend. First serve Saturday and Sunday is set for 5 p.m., ET, both days at Neville Arena on the campus of Auburn University.

Follow the Bulldogs
» Both matches will be streamed live via SEC Network+. JJ Jackson and Wiley Ballard (play-by-play) and Kele Eveland (analysis) will be on the call.
» 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 History
- Georgia leads the all-time series 38-20
- In Auburn, Georgia is 16-9 in the series
- Under Tom Black, Georgia has split six matches against Auburn; Georgia and Auburn have traded wins in the last six meetings with the Bulldogs winning both matches in Auburn in that time period
- The Bulldogs will look to win back-to-back matches against Auburn for the first time since 2009 (UGA won the most recent match on Oct. 22, 2021)

Up Next
Georgia will then return to action Wednesday, Oct. 19 at No. 15 Florida in a midweek matchup. First serve against the Gators is set for 7 p.m. at the C. O'Connell Center. The Bulldogs return to Stegeman Coliseum to host Alabama Oct. 22 and 23 before finishing the month at Missouri Oct. 28 and 29.

Let's Recap
Georgia concluded a busy week at home with a 3-0 record with five-set wins over South Carolina and Texas A&M. The Bulldogs out hit their opponents .233 to .155, combining for 45 total blocks, good enough for 3.00 blocks per set. Individually, Kacie Evans tallied 4.27 kills per set, registering 5.27 points per set for the Bulldogs, earning the title of SEC Player of the Week. Defensively, Georgia had huge performances from Sophie Fischer (30 total blocks, 2.00 per set) and Bailey Cox (67 digs, 4.47 per set), contributing to Georgia's opponents hitting .155 on the week. After last week, three of Georgia's four SEC matches have gone five sets.

Evans Earns SEC Player of the week Honors
Senior Kacie Evans was tabbed the SEC Player of the Week on Oct. 3 following an explosive offensive performance against South Carolina and Texas A&M. Evans' strong week offensively began with 19 kills against the Gamecocks on while also picking up a double-double with 11 digs. She added seven blocks in the match, a new career-best. She laid down 17 kills in Saturday's five-set win over the Aggies but really shined in Sunday's match with 28 kills, falling one short of tying a career best. She hit .362 on Sunday with 12 digs for her third double-double of 2022. Evans' totals of the week came to 64 kills (4.27 kills/set), 32 digs (2.13 kills/set), 14 total blocks (0.93 blocks/set) and seven service aces. She averaged 5.27 points per set.

Fischer Picks Up Second SEC Weekly Award
Sophie Fischer earned her second weekly award from the SEC on Oct. 3, being named the Defensive Player of the Week. Fischer's impressive week at the net began with 15 blocks against South Carolina. The mark broke Georgia's record for blocks in a match, previously 14 set in 2014. The Fort Mill native added nine blocks on Saturday and six Sunday against the Aggies. She concluded the week with 30 total blocks, averaging 2.00 a set. Her strong blocking aided in holding Georgia's opponents to a .155 hitting clip on the week. On the other side of the ball, Fischer recorded double-digit kills in all three matches including 17 in Saturday's match, one shy of tying a career high. Her 10 kills coupled with her record 15 blocks was good enough for her first career double-double.

Aces Wild
Georgia has consistently had strong serving since Tom Black's arrival in Athens and 2022 has been no difference. Nationally, Georgia's 1.77 aces per set ranks 53rd while checking in at fourth in the SEC. Individually, Kacie Evans (0.43 aces/set) ranks third in the SEC.

Evans is Killing it
Kacie Evans' 4.09 kills per set ranks 35th in the country and second in the SEC. She's leading in the conference with a 4.91 points per set average, a clip that currently ranks 22nd in the country.

The Great Wall of Fischer
After a 14-block performance against South Carolina, Sophie Fischer propelled herself into the top five nationally and the top of the SEC with 1.55 blocks per set. Her 85 total blocks leads the league. As a team, Georgia's 2.56 blocks per set ranks fourth in the SEC. Offensively, Fischer's .344 hitting percentage is seventh in the SEC.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Bailey Cox

Kacie Evans

Sophie Fischer

University of Georgia Athletics