University of Georgia
Kentucky
Georgia Drops a 3-1 Decision to #17 Kentucky
November 07, 2014 | Volleyball
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Jasmine Eatmon recorded a team-best 12 kills on a .688 attack percentage as the Georgia volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (24-26, 26-24, 16-25, 13-25) decision to the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats on Friday, Nov. 7 at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky. The Bulldogs are now 11-13 on the year that includes a 3-9 mark in Southeastern Conference play. Kentucky is 21-4 overall and 10-2 in the SEC.
Tirah Le'au finished second on the team with 11 kills and registered 15 digs for her 11th double-double of the season. Megan Spencer added eight kills in the effort. Kaylee Kehoe and Kendall Kazor each finished with 21 assists to pace the offense. Gaby Smiley led the team with 22 digs. Desiree McCray recorded five blocks, including four solo stops to lead the Bulldogs at the net defensively.
Kentucky opened up to an early 8-3 lead in the first set, but a pair of Kentucky errors coupled with kills by Spencer and McCray allowed Georgia to pull to within three at 10-7. The Wildcats were able to maintain a slight advantage until a kill by Le'au put Georgia within one at 18-17. Trailing 21-19, a Le'au kill sparked a 4-0 run that gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the night at 22-21. The score knotted two more times, before a kill and a Georgia error allowed the Wildcats to take a 1-0 match lead with a 26-24 win in set one.
Georgia bounced back with a 26-24 win in the second set that tied the match at 1-1. Once again, the Wildcats were able to grab the early lead, getting out in front 7-3. The Bulldogs were able to fight their way back into the match, cutting the lead to one at 13-12 on a Spencer kill. Kentucky was able to get into a rhythm and extend its lead to as much as five until a service error sparked a Georgia run. With Cassidy Anderson at the service line, the Bulldogs rattled off five-straight points that tied the set at 19-19. McCray continued to be a force at the net, using a block to spark a 3-0 run by Georgia that gave it a 22-20 lead. During the run, Georgia got a kill from Eatmon and an ace by Smiley. The set tied three more times, but this time it was the Bulldogs who came out on top, scoring the final three points to take the set 26-24. It was the first set win over a top-20 team this season
With the match tied at 1-1, Georgia and Kentucky went point-for-point over the opening possessions of the third set. With Kentucky holding a 12-11 lead, the Wildcats strung together a 6-0 run that put them up 18-11. Georgia got kills from Le'au, Spencer and Dachs, but it was not enough as Kentucky won the third set 25-16 and took a 2-1 lead in the match.
Kentucky rode the momentum it gained in the third set into the fourth set, opening up to a 10-5 lead before a kill by Le'au ended the run. Leading 11-8, Kentucky scored 10 of the next 11 points to increase its lead to 21-9. Georgia looked to answer, but was unable to overcome the deficit as Kentucky sealed the 3-1 victory with a 25-13 win in set four.
Georgia returns home to the Ramsey Center on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m., when it hosts the Arkansas Razorbacks. The match will be televised on the SEC Network.
