Bulldogs Sweep Mocs, Broncos Saturday at Stegeman

Saturday, August 27

Athens, Ga.

11:00 a.m.

University of Georgia

2-0,0-0SEC

Chattanooga

0-2,0-0SoCon

Chattanooga

Georgia

August 27, 2022 | Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia volleyball team finished out the Classic City Clash with consecutive sweeps of both Chattanooga and Santa Clara at Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday, improving to 3-0 to start its 2022 campaign.

By finishing opening weekend undefeated, it marks the first time since 2018 that the Bulldogs opened the season with three-straight wins. Georgia's two victories in just six sets came by a 25-13, 25-16, 25-19 result against the Mocs and a 25-16, 25-15, 25-17 final against the Broncos.

"This team is certainly just special. … And playing in Stegeman Coliseum, it's unreal, it's just awesome having the fans here," said senior outside hitter Kacie Evans. "It's a whole different level when we're on our game, and it really showed the last three matches. We swept everyone, just continuing to keep playing our game like that."

Both redshirt-sophomore Mackenzie Norris and freshman Estelle Haugen made the most of their season debuts. Norris posted a career-high 10 kills on 15 attempts (.600) while Haugen, appearing in the Red and Black for the first time of her career, tallied seven kills, five digs, and a pair of assists to secure the first sweep against the Mocs.

Freshman Ana Julia Bleeker also made her collegiate debut in the first match, recording a pair of digs for the Bulldogs.

Georgia (3-0) started hot in the first set, beginning with a 5-0 run to begin the match. A block from junior Sophie Fischer increased the Bulldogs' lead to six (15-9) at the media timeout.

Georgia continued its early momentum with a 4-0 run coming out of the media timeout sparked by three aces from Meghan Froemming, forcing Chattanooga to call its first timeout of the match (19-9). The Bulldogs continued their offensive onslaught to finish the first set 25-13.

After trailing to start the second set, the Bulldogs rallied to lead 15-13 at the media timeout. Coming out of the break, Georgia went on a 4-0 run, forcing Chattanooga to regroup with their its timeout of the set (19-13). In all, the Bulldogs closed out the second set with a 12-3 run to win 25-16.

The Bulldogs trailed again to start the third set but quickly regained the momentum to lead 15-13 at the media timeout. Georgia increased the lead to seven with an 8-3 run coming out of the media timeout (23-16). The Bulldogs completed the sweep with a 25-19 victory in the third set.

UGA's second match of the day against Santa Clara opened with a close first set, with neither team pulling away by more than three points.

However, fueled by three-straight kills by three different Bulldogs, the Red and Black took a 15-8 lead into the first media timeout. A block from Sage Powell and Abby Maesch forced the Broncos to take their first timeout, as Georgia took an eight-point lead, 18-10.

Georgia claimed the first set, 25-16, fueled by three Santa Clara service errors, a pair of Bulldog aces and seven Evans kills.

Mallory Downing opened the second stanza with an ace, helping propel the Dawgs to a 12-7 lead after stringing together four-straight points. Thanks to further stellar play from the service line, Georgia held a 17-11 lead when the Broncos took their first timeout of the set following an Evans' ace, the team's fourth of the set.

The closing stages of the second frame saw a Georgia 6-0 run, capped off by a Maesch kill to take a 2-0 lead, 25-15.

With the sweep in sight, the Dawgs did not let up the pressure, especially at the net.

Fischer and freshman Tori Harper helped to control a 4-0 run with back-to-back blocks and take the team's first lead of the set, 7-5. Santa Clara was forced to use its final timeout while down 16-11, following Georgia's fourth block of the set from Powell and Harper.

Evans closed out the night for the Bulldogs, earning a block with Powell to force match point and completing the sweep and taking the third set, 25-17, with her 17^th kill of the night.

With UGA's nine aces in the final match of the day, it ties the ninth most in a three-set match in the program's rally scoring history. This most recently occurred against Alabama on October 31, 2021. The Bulldogs hit a staggering .354 percentage against Santa Clara, fueled by Evans' match-leading 17 kills.

Georgia will next hit the court on Friday, Sept. 2 against Charlotte at 6:30 p.m. College of Charleston and Texas Tech will join the 49ers for another four-team, six-match round robin tournament in Stegeman Coliseum.

Head women's volleyball coach Tom Black
On what he saw from the team's performance...
"Really tough serving. I think that was one of the big highlights. I thought we dug really well. Kacie Evans is just a force on every side of the ball. First weekend had lots of positives and still a lot to work."

Senior outside hitter Kacie Evans
On the team's two sweeps and overall performance...
"This team is certainly just special. Just playing alongside of everyone. The bench was just phenomenal. We were going crazy for our young ones that were playing. It was just awesome. And playing in Stegeman Coliseum, it's unreal, it's just awesome having the fans here. It's a whole different level when we're on our game, and it really showed the last three matches. We swept everyone, just continuing to keep playing our game like that."

On her performance at the service line...
"I've been trying to work on it, basically, all four years I've been here. I never really felt confident actually performing in a game and, Aaron Bennett came up to me before the match started. He goes, 'How about topspin?' I said, 'Let's go for it.' So I went off, just taking that breath that I need and letting it rip. That's all I need to do."