Georgia Opens NCAA Tournament Play Friday

Georgia (19-11, 10-8 SEC)
vs. (5) Arizona State (26-6, 14-6 Pac 12)
Date: Friday, Dec. 1, 2023
First Serve: 6:30 p.m., ET
Location: Provo, Utah
Arena: Smith Fieldhouse

Participating Teams:
(4) BYU (24-6, 13-5 Big 12)
(5) Arizona State (26-6, 14-6 Pac 12)
Georgia (19-11, 10-8 SEC)
Weber State (21-9, 11-5 Big Sky)

Media Information
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: NCAA.com
Twitter/X: @UGAvolleyball

First Serve
Georgia volleyball will play fifth-seeded Arizona State on Friday, Dec. 1 at George Albert Smith Fieldhouse on the campus of BYU in Provo, Utah in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament. First serve against the Sun Devils is set for 6:30 p.m., ET, on ESPN+.

The winner will advance to the second round and face the winner between fourth-seeded BYU and Weber State on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 9 p.m., ET. That match will also stream live on ESPN+.

Follow the Bulldogs
» The first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament will stream live on ESPN+. A subscription is required to watch matches on ESPN+.
» Live stat links can be found on the interactive NCAA Tournament bracket on NCAA.com.
» Twitter/X updates will be available all season long on the official page of the Bulldogs, @UGAvolleyball.

BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series Histories
Arizona State
- Georgia leads the all-time series 1-0
- The lone meeting between the Bulldogs and Sun Devils was on Sept. 3, 2021 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Georgia won in five sets.
BYU
- Georgia trails the all-time series 0-3
- The Bulldogs have played in Provo once: 1995. Georgia went 1-2 in a preseason tournament in Provo that season including falling to No. 17 BYU in four sets.
- The most recent meeting with BYU was in Athens in 1999; the Cougars won in five sets
Weber State
- Georgia leads the all-time series 1-0
- The lone meeting between the Bulldogs and Wildcats was 33 years ago on Sept. 7, 1990 in Fullerton, California. Georgia swept the Wildcats.

NCAA Tournament Tidbits
- Georgia volleyball returns to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season and the third time under head coach Tom Black in 2023
- This will be Georgia's 12th all-time tournament appearance and the first back-to-back appearances since the 1994 and 1995 seasons
-The Bulldogs are 6-11 all-time in the NCAA Tournament
- Georgia defeated eighth-seeded Towson in the opening round of the 2022 tournament in Austin, Texas, recording its first NCAA Tournament victory since 1995. Prior to that, Georgia's first five NCAA Tournament wins came in the opening round and in Athens
- In 2019, Georgia drew Cal Poly in the opening round at Stanford; the Bulldogs went up 2-0 in the match, but ultimately fell in a five-set battle
- Georgia has never appeared in the NCAA Tournament in Utah and has not faced Arizona State, BYU, or Weber State in the NCAA Tournament.
- The Bulldogs have only played in the state of Utah once: 1995. Georgia played in the BYU Tournament in the second week of the season, defeating No. 12 Colorado in five, then falling to Minnesota and No. 17 BYU. Georgia then traveled to Salt Lake City three days later, sweeping Utah.
- Tom Black is 1-12 in his head coaching career against BYU including going 0-7 in Provo, all at LMU (2010-16)

Fischer Named SEC Player of the Year
Senior middle blocker Sophie Fischer was named the 2023 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. Fischer, a native of Fort Mill, South Carolina, becomes only the second Georgia Bulldog to be named the SEC Volleyball Player of the Year, joining 1994's Player of the Year Priscilla Pacheco. Fischer concluded the regular season as the league's top scorer and the nation's highest-scoring middle, registering 5.31 points per set. She finished top 10 in the SEC in kills per set, service aces per set, blocks per set, and hitting percentage.

Fischer, Evans Tabbed All-SEC
Senior middle blocker Sophie Fischer and graduate outside hitter Kacie Evans were both appointed to the 2023 All-SEC Team. Fischer is now a back-to-back All-SEC honoree after earning all-conference status in 2022. Evans adds a third All-SEC Team selection (2019, 2022, 2023) to her impressive resume as a Bulldog. Evans is the first three-time All-SEC Bulldog since Alexandra Oquendo and Julia Petruschke each earned back-to-back-to-back All-SEC honors from 2003 to 2005.

Encapsulating the 2023 Regular Season
Georgia concluded the 2023 regular season with a 19-11 overall record and a 10-8 SEC record, finishing tied for fourth in the league. Georgia knocked off top-10 opponents Georgia Tech (Sept. 15, 3-1) and Arkansas (Nov. 1, 3-0), the first time in program history beating two top-10 opponents in the same season and the first time since 1993 the Bulldogs beat two ranked opponents in a season. The win over Arkansas was the sixth ranked victory in the Tom Black era. Georgia went 5-9 against 11 NCAA Tournament teams in 2023. The Bulldogs finished the regular season strong, winning the final four matches, dropping just two sets in those four matches.

It Just Means More
The Southeastern Conference led all conferences with eight teams selected to compete in the 2023 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship. Kentucky, the SEC regular-season champion, received the automatic qualification for the SEC, while Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas A&M joined the 64-team field with their at-large bids to the NCAA Championship. The eight teams ties 2013's record for the most teams in the tournament from the league.

Evans Named to SEC Volleyball Community Service Team
Kacie Evans was named to the 2023 SEC Volleyball Community Service Team. Evans has volunteered her time at the Northeast Georgia Food Bank warehouse and participated in United Way of Northeast Georgia care package assembly for the elderly in the Athens area. Most recently, she spent time at the Athens Area Humane Society. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sport Science in spring 2023 and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Kinesiology (Sport Pedagogy).

Brower Named SEC Setter of the Week
Clara Brower was named the final SEC Setter of the Week in 2023 on Nov. 27. It is first Setter of the Week award for Brower in her career and she is Georgia's first SEC Setter of the Week since 2019 (Meghan Donovan). In the final week of the regular season, Brower handed out 87 assists in Georgia's wins over LSU and Missouri. The Bulldogs hit .351 at LSU on Wednesday before tallying a season-high .386 hitting clip against Missouri on Saturday. She averaged 12.43 assists per set last week. In Wednesday's match, she tied a career-high five kills. Defensively, Brower narrowly missed double-doubles in both matches, finishing with nine digs at LSU and eight digs against Missouri. She put up five blocks in Saturday's regular season finale.

Recapping Action
Georgia swept the Missouri Tigers in straight sets in the regular season finale at Stegeman Coliseum Saturday (25-18, 25-17, 25-19). Kacie Evans and Sophie Fischer co-led the Dogs' offense, putting up 11 kills each. Erica Staunton added eight of her own with a .438 hitting clip on the outside. Georgia hit a season-best .386 against the Tigers. UGA recorded 10 service aces in the match, led by three from Fischer and two each from Bailey Cox, Estelle Haugen, and Evans. Defensively, Georgia put up 14 total blocks. Fischer led the charge with a season-best 10 followed by five each from Ceci Gooch and Clara Brower. Cox and Brower each put up eight digs while Brower handed out 34 assists.

The Nation's Highest Scoring Middle
Middle blocker Sophie Fischer led the SEC in points per set (5.31) and in total points (584.0). Nationally, she ranks 11th in points per set and is the nation's highest scoring middle. Her 4.16 kills per set ranked third in the league and her 1.34 blocks per set ranked second. Her 0.41 aces per set also cracked the top 10 in the SEC, ranking third while her .328 hitting percentage ranked ninth.

Lending a Helping Hand
Setter Clara Brower ranked fourth in the SEC with 10.39 assists per set this season. The Bulldogs concluded the regular season hitting .243, fifth best in the SEC. In her third season running the offense, Brower now ranks ninth all-time in total assists with over 2,600 in her career. As Georgia has run a 5-1 offense this season, Brower has recorded nine double-doubles and has a 2.37 digs per set average.

Evans Cements Elite Status
Graduate Kacie Evans has reached a number of milestones in her final season in the Red & Black. Evans became just the fifth Bulldog to top 2,000 career points at Georgia. She reached the mark in the second set against South Carolina on Nov. 17. In the first set at Auburn on Oct. 1, Evans recorded her 1,000th career dig, becoming the 22nd member of Georgia's 1,000 Dig Club. Additionally, she also secured Double Grand Club status with her more than 1,700 career kills, becoming Georgia's 15th all-time member of that club.

Evans broke Georgia's sets played record, playing in her 514th set against Missouri on Nov. 25 at Stegeman Coliseum. She now ranks fourth all time in career kills with 1,761. She also ranks top 10 in attacks, aces, and total points.

Aces Wild
After strong matches at the service line recently, Georgia has risen to second in the SEC with a 1.81 aces per set average. The Dogs' 199 total aces is second. Sophie Fischer (0.41), Kacie Evans (0.34), and Bailey Cox (0.33) each appear in the top 10 in the SEC in the category.

Cox Approaching Digs Milestone
Junior Bailey Cox is just 10 digs away from recording her 1,000 career dig. When she hits the milestone, she'll become the 23rd member of Georgia's 1,000 Dig Club.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Clara Brower

Bailey Cox

Kacie Evans

Sophie Fischer

Ceci Gooch

Estelle Haugen

Erica Staunton

University of Georgia Athletics