University of Georgia
Belmont
Georgia Wins Bulldog Invitational; Sweeps Belmont, CofC
September 06, 2014 | Volleyball
Highlights from Saturday's Bulldog Invitation where Georgia defeated College of Charleston and Belmont.
Sept. 6, 2014
ATHENS, Ga. - The Georgia volleyball team swept through the final day of the Bulldog Invitational to take home the tournament title with a pair of 3-0 wins over Belmont and the College of Charleston. Georgia took a 25-20, 25-13, 25-19 win over Belmont in the first game of the day before handing the College of Charleston a 25-23, 25-21, 25-14 loss in the tournament finale.
"I'm really proud of this group," said head coach Lizzy Stemke. "We got stronger as the tournament went on. The preseason tournaments tend to be pretty draining, so for us to get stronger with every match and every point is a great testament to how hard this team is working. They wanted this season to be about grit and we did that to the final point."
On top of the wins, Georgia had three players in Lauren Teknipp, Gaby Smiley and Kaylee Kehoe earn all-tournament honors. Kehoe was named the tournament MVP.
Georgia 3, Belmont 0
Megan Spencer, Desiree McCray and Tirah Le'au led Georgia's offensive attack against Belmont recording seven kills each. Kehoe set up the offensive showing with 25 assists. Georgia was strong at the net defensively, finishing with six team blocks. Teknipp and Le'au led the effort with two blocks each. Smiley led Georgia with 12 digs.
"I'm really proud of this group," said head coach Lizzy Stemke. "We got stronger as the tournament went on. Thee preseason tournaments tend to be pretty draining, so for us to get stronger with every match and every point is a great testament to how hard this team is working. They wanted this season to be about grit and we did that to the final point."
The first set was a hard fought affair from the first serve, as the teams tied 10 times before a pair of Belmont points allowed the Bruins to take a 13-11 lead. The Bulldogs responded with three-straight points that allowed them to gain a 14-13 lead. Georgia controlled the lead until a 3-0 run by Belmont tied the set at 19-19. Following a Georgia timeout, the Bulldogs scored six of the final seven points to seal a 25-20 set one and take a 1-0 match lead.
The second set remained tight over the opening possessions until a Teknipp kill sparked a 4-0 run that put the Bulldogs up 8-4 and forced Belmont to use its first timeout of the set. Following the break, the Bruins fought back to within three at 11-8, but Georgia responded with four-straight points, including one on an ace by Le'au that extended its lead to 15-8. Already holding an 18-11 lead, the Bulldogs kept the pressure on, pushing its lead to a commanding 23-11 with the help of a Kehoe and Teknipp block, a Cassidy Anderson service ace and a Le'au kill. Georgia reached set point on a Belmont service error before a solo block by McCray clinched the 25-13 set two win.
The up tempo contest continued into the third set, as neither team was able to gain control of the set until service error by the Bruins put Georgia up 9-7. Georgia maintained the lead until a 3-0 run by Belmont tied the set at 12-12. Five of the next six points went to the Bulldogs, including one on a long rally that resulted in Teknipp finding the center of the court for a kill. The run also resulted in Belmont using its first timeout. The Bulldogs took the first two points out of the break to extend its lead to 19-13. Belmont fought back to within four at 20-16 before a service error made it a 21-16 set. The Bruins used their final timeout trailing 23-17. They would score just two more points, as Georgia clinched the match with a 25-19 set three win.
Georgia 3, College of Charleston 0
Amanda Dachs led Georgia with 11 kills and an impressive .435 efficiency. Le'au and Teknipp got in on the action with 10 kills each as the team hit .340 for the match. Kehoe led the team with 36 assists and added 10 digs for her second double-double of the season. McCray continued to be a force from the net, finishing with six kills and a team-best six blocks. As a team, Georgia finished with nine team blocks. Smiley led the team with 13 digs.
The back-and-forth sets continued in the first set between Georgia and the College of Charleston. The score knotted four times before a kill by Teknipp gave the Bulldogs an 8-6 lead. The Bulldogs increased their lead to 12-8, but a 4-0 run by the Cougars made it a tie game at 12-12. The battle continued as the teams went point for point with one another until it was a 22-22 set. A pair of kills by Spencer and Teknipp gave Georgia set point at 24-22 and forced CofC to use a timeout. A Spencer kill finished off the Cougars 25-23 in set one, giving Georgia a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the second set, but the College of Charleston fought back to make it a one point set at 5-4. The Bulldogs put together a run that saw them score six of the next seven points to extend their lead to 11-6 and force CofC to use a timeout. The streak continued after the break in play as Georgia posted the next two points to make it a 13-6 set. Georgia's relentless play continued as it ran the score up to 18-10. CofC scratched itself back into the set, making a 23-21 before a block by McCray and Spencer gave Georgia set point at 24-21. Teknipp put the set in the books at 25-21 with a kill that put Georgia up 2-0.
Georgia put pressure on the Cougars early in the third set, jumping out to an early 5-1 lead that caused CofC to burn an early timeout. Out of the break the College of Charleston cut the lead to two at 6-4, but Georgia was able to string together four consecutive points to increase its lead to 10-4. The dominant performance continued as Georgia ran the score to 14-6 and forced the Cougars to use their final timeout. The Bulldogs lead went into double digits with a Le'au kill at 19-9. Kehoe sealed Georgia's 25-14 set three win that clinched the 3-0 sweep of the College of Charleston.
Georgia returns to action next weekend, Sept, 12-13, when it hosts the Benson's Hospitality Invitational at the Ramsey Center in Athens, Ga. The Bulldogs will open the tournament on Friday at 7 p.m., against UNC Asheville before taking on Harvard and NC State at 1 p.m., and 7 p.m., respectively, on Saturday.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
