Georgia Downs Arkansas in Five Sets Sunday

Sunday, November 6

Athens, Ga.

4:00 p.m.

University of Georgia

18-6,9-4SEC

Arkansas

15-8,6-7SEC

Arkansas

Georgia

November 06, 2022 | Volleyball

Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia women's volleyball team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks Sunday afternoon at Stegeman Coliseum in a five-set battle (21-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-14, 15-8).

Winners of six of their last seven matches, Georgia climbs to 18-6 on the season and 9-4 in Southeastern Conference play.

Three Bulldogs tipped the double-digit kill mark in the match led by 21 from senior Kacie Evans. Junior Sophie Fischer (14) and senior Amber Stivrins (12) also topped the double-digit mark.

Georgia's defense shined on Sunday, putting up 19 team blocks and 68 digs. Redshirt-sophomore Mackenzie Norris recorded a career-best 11 blocks while freshman Tori Harper and Fischer added eight each. The defense held Arkansas to a .191 hitting clip in the match.

Redshirt-junior Alexa Fortin recorded 18 digs to lead the team followed by 15 from sophomore libero Bailey Cox. 22 assists coupled with her 18 digs was Fortin's fourth double-double of the season. Fellow setter Clara Brower also picked up a double-double with 25 assists and 10 digs, her fifth of the season.

The Razorbacks (15-8, 6-7) came out of the gate strong in the opening set, leading by as much as four. Down 18-15, Georgia strung together three points to tie the set and force an Arkansas timeout. Knotted at 19, Arkansas halted the Georgia offense and finished out the set with a 6-2 run, taking the frame 25-21. Evans registered five kills in the first set.

Georgia found an early lead in the second set, going ahead 7-2 with back-to-back blocks. The Bulldogs kept the offense rolling, eventually finding a 10-point lead on a 4-0 run capped by back-to-back Evans kills, 18-8. Arkansas worked cut into the lead, working it down to six at 21-15, and forcing a Georgia timeout. The Dogs held on to win the set and even the match, 25-18. Stivrins recorded six kills in the second.

Arkansas worked to exhaust both Georgia timeouts by going ahead six in the second set, 12-6. Three-straight Bulldog blocks cut Arkansas' lead to five and forced a Hog timeout, 16-11. Georgia widened its run to five after the timeout, making it a three-point match, 16-13. Evans capped a three-point run with an ace, making it a two-point set at 21-19. The Razorbacks responded with three straight to draw set point and held on to win 25-20.

A string of four-straight blocks contributed to a 7-0 Georgia run in the fourth set to go ahead 8-2 on the Razorbacks. Later, a 5-0 Bulldog run opened a 10-point lead at 17-7. Georgia kept its foot on the throttle and rolled to a 25-14 win in the fourth to force a fifth and final set. The Bulldogs hit .500 with six blocks in the fourth.

The Dogs kept the momentum going in the fifth. Three-straight Evans kills contributed to an early 4-0 run in the fifth, putting Georgia ahead 5-1. The Dogs never looked back, keeping the offense rolling and finishing the set on a 4-1 run, taking the fifth 15-8 and the five-set match over the Razorbacks. Georgia hit .529 in the fifth with no attack errors, led by five kills on 10 swings from Evans.

Georgia hit a combined .513 with 10 blocks and 20 digs in the fourth and fifth sets.

The Bulldogs return to action Friday when the team travels to Knoxville for a matchup with the Tennessee Lady Vols. First serve on Rocky Top is set for 6:30 p.m.

Head Coach Tom Black
On what he saw from the team during today's match…
"I saw a ton of heart. It was a seesaw, hard-fought match. It would be really easy to get internal and go down, but they didn't. We made a lot of changes and got better throughout the match. I'm super proud of the effort against a really quality team."

On how playing in front of the fans impacts the team…
"It's huge. We really appreciate Dawg Nation showing up today. Our dream is to have the whole lower bowl full. I know we'll get there one day and it'll be on the backs of these people. We really appreciate it."

Junior Sophie Fischer
On the team's performance…
"We definitely battled and we fought. We've been preparing for this and Arkansas is a great team. They threw some things at us that we had to face and overcome, and we did a really good job."

On the impact of the fans today…
"The fans are great. It means the world to us for people to come support us. With the whole 'monster block' thing and from point-to-point, they're always there. We wouldn't be the same without them. They give us so much energy and keep the momentum on our side."