Evans Records 27 Kills in Five-Set Loss to Tigers

Sunday, November 5

Columbia, Mo.

4 p.m.

University of Georgia

15-9,6-6SEC

Missouri

15-9,7-6SEC

Georgia

Missouri

November 05, 2023 | Volleyball

Box Score

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Georgia volleyball team fell in five sets to the Missouri Tigers Sunday afternoon at Hearnes Center (25-16, 23-25, 31-29, 23-25, 13-15).

Georgia is now 15-9 on the season and 6-6 in SEC play.

Kacie Evans recorded a season-high 27 kills, topping the 20-kill mark for the first time this season. She hit .388 on the outside with seven digs and three blocks.

Sophie Fischer tallied 18 kills with seven blocks in the match while Estelle Hauhen added eight kills with a .400 hitting clip and a pair of blocks.

Setter Clara Brower tied career bests with 59 assists and five kills in the match running an offense that hit a respectable .338 as a team. Libero Bailey Cox put up 13 digs to lead the team.

The Bulldogs found a quick lead to open the match. Ahead 8-7, Georgia won five of the next six points to widen the lead to 13-8, capped by an Ana Julia Bleeker ace. Georgia carried its five-point lead into the first set media break, 15-10. Georgia kept its foot on the gas, rolling to a 25-16 set one win. Fischer tallied seven kills while Evans put up five in the opening set. As a team, Georgia hit .538 in the set with no hitting errors.

Georgia used three-straight points to go up 6-4 in the second. With Georgia ahead 14-12 in the back-and-forth battle, Missouri (15-9, 7-6) rattled off a 5-0 run to go up 17-14. Missouri widened the lead to 21-17, exhausting both Georgia timeouts in the set. Down 23-18, Georgia used a 5-1 run to slice the lead to one late, 24-23. Missouri held on to win the set 25-23, knotting the match.

The Dogs were forced to take an early timeout in the third after falling behind 6-2. Down five, Georgia won six-of-seven points to tie the set at 9-up. The set went point-for-point and Georgia found its first lead of the frame on a Haugen/Ceci Gooch block, 17-16. Missouri responded with a 4-0 run to retake the lead, 20-18, prompting Georgia's final timeout. Georgia tied it at 22, at 23, then fended off set point to tie it at 24. An all-out battle ensued. Georgia drew set point at 25 then Missouri responded with set point at 26, 27, and 28. Georgia then found set point at 29 on a Haugen/Evans block. Finally, a Fischer kill, and a Haugen ace finished the set for Georgia, 31-29.

Down three in the fourth, a 6-0 Georgia run fueled by four Evans kills gave Georgia a 9-6 advantage. After a Tiger break, Missouri responded with a 3-0 run to tie it at 9-all. Three-straight Tiger blocks gave Missouri a three-point lead, 16-13, prompting a Georgia timeout. Down 21-16, a 3-0 Dog run cut the lead to two, 21-19. Missouri drew set point, 24-21, then a Fischer kill and a Tiger error, kept the set alive for Georgia, 24-23. After a timeout, Missouri's Morgan Isenberg sealed the set, 25-23, forcing a fifth.

It was a tight fifth set to start with both teams nearly going point-for-point. Missouri led 8-7 at the end change. After the media timeout, a 3-0 Georgia run put the Bulldogs in front 10-8. Missouri capitalized on Georgia errors to win four of the next five points and go back up 12-11, prompting a UGA break. Evans' 27^th kill fended off one set point, 14-13. Missouri held on to win the set 15-13 and the match in five.

Georgia continues its road swing next weekend at Tennessee and Kentucky. The weekend begins Friday, Nov. 10 in Knoxville at Thompson-Boling Arena at 6:30 p.m. between the Dogs and Lady Vols.