Bulldogs’ Comeback Falls Short in Five Set Clash in Auburn

Sunday, October 9

Auburn, Ala.

5:00 p.m.

University of Georgia

12-5,3-3SEC

Auburn

16-1,5-1SEC

Georgia

Auburn

Bulldogs’ Comeback Falls Short in Five Set Clash in Auburn

October 09, 2022 | Volleyball

Box Score

AUBURN, Ala. – The University of Georgia women's volleyball team battled back from down two sets to none, but fell just short in the fifth set to the Auburn Tigers at Neville Arena Sunday afternoon.

Senior Amber Stivrins paced Georgia's offense with a season-high 17 kills. At the service line, she contributed three of Georgia's 11 aces. Senior Kacie Evans and junior Sophie Fischer each tallied 11 kills for the Bulldogs in the match.

Redshirt-sophomore Mackenzie Norris shined all around in the match with seven kills, a career-best four aces, and a team best seven blocks.

Sophomore libero Bailey Cox led the team with 15 digs. Redshirt-junior Alexa Fortin dished out 22 assists with 13 digs for her second double-double of 2022. Evans contributed 10 digs for her fourth double-double of the season.

The tightly contested match featured 32 total ties and the lead changed 15 times altogether.

With the Tigers (16-1, 5-1) out in front 10-6, Georgia (12-5, 3-3) went on a 9-1 run sparked by back-to-back Stivrins kills, to hold a 15-11 lead at the first set media break. Auburn battled to tie the set at 19-all, prompting a Georgia break. Georgia's third block of the set knotted it at 22, but Auburn held on to take the opening frame 25-22. Stivrins paced the offense with five kills.

Back-to-back Stivrins aces put the Bulldogs ahead 7-3 early in the second set. Georgia bolstered the lead with three-straight later to widen the advantage to five and prompt a Tiger timeout, 12-7. Auburn responded with four-straight points to slice the Dogs' lead to one, 12-11. A 6-1 run propelled Auburn to a 17-14 lead. After a Georgia break, three-straight tied the set at 17-all. The Tigers fended off the Bulldogs to win the second set 25-21, taking a 2-0 lead in the match.

Knotted at 4-all in the third, Georgia went on a five-point run to prompt an early Tiger break. Georgia kept the offense rolling, lengthening the lead to eight, 15-7, exhausting both Auburn timeouts. A 6-1 Tiger run sliced Georgia's lead to three, 16-13. The Dogs responded with five-straight points fueled by three aces from Norris to retake an eight-point lead at 21-13. Georgia held on to win the set by 10, 25-15, keeping the match alive.

The Bulldogs capitalized on Auburn errors to turn a 7-1 run into a six-point lead in the fourth, 11-5. The Tigers responded with a five-point streak to cut the lead to two, 11-9. Down 14-10, Auburn won eight-of-10 rallies to go ahead 18-16 and force a Georgia timeout. Auburn's run was lengthened to go ahead 20-16, but Georgia responded with four points to retie the set at 20-all, capped by the Bulldogs' 10^th ace of the match. Auburn managed to draw set point at 24-23, but Georgia rebounded to win three-straight to win the fourth set 26-24, forcing a fifth set.

Georgia's 11^th service ace of the match, this one from Evans, put Georgia ahead 5-3 in the fifth. Auburn strung together three-straight points to take a 7-6 lead, but Georgia responded with back-to-back points to lead 8-7 at the end change. Georgia kept the Tigers at arm's length, drawing match point at 14-11. Auburn used three kills and back-to-back blocks to come all the way back and steal the fifth set, 16-14, completing the five-set match.

The Bulldogs return to action Wednesday, Oct. 19 when they take on No. 15 Florida in Gainesville. First serve against the Gators is set for 7 p.m. Georgia then hosts Alabama in a two-match series at Stegeman Coliseum Oct. 22-23.