Bulldogs Set for Final Weekend of Non-Conference Action

Georgia (4-5)
at NC State (5-4)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021
First Serve: 7 p.m., ET
Location: Raleigh, N.C.
Arena: James T. Valvano Arena

at #18 Georgia Tech (7-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021
First Serve: 7 p.m., ET
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Arena: O'Keefe Gymnasium

Media Information
Streaming: ACC Network Extra (both matches)
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter: @UGAvolleyball

First Serve
Georgia volleyball is set for its final week of non-conference play when it takes on NC State and No. 18 Georgia Tech on the road.

The Bulldogs will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina for a matchup with the Wolfpack Thursday at 7 p.m. Georgia will then head to Atlanta to take on a nationally-ranked Georgia Tech squad Saturday. First serve of the non-conference finale is slated for 7 p.m.

Follow the Bulldogs
» Both matches will stream live via ACC Network Extra.
» Live stat links can be found on the volleyball schedule on GeorgiaDogs.com.
» Twitter updates will be available all season long on the official Twitter page of the Bulldogs, @UGAvolleyball.

BULLDOGS BULLETIN
NC State
- Georgia leads the all-time series 9-6
- In Raleigh, the series is tied 2-2; the last time Georgia was in Raleigh was 1990
- The Bulldogs and Wolfpack met almost every year from 1979 to 1990, but didn't meet again until 2014
- Georgia has won the last two meetings in 2018 and 2019
Georgia Tech
- Georgia leads the all-time series 24-17
- Georgia won the first 20 meetings of the series until 1998; however, since then has only beaten the Yellow Jackets four times
- Tom Black is 2-1 against Georgia Tech since arriving in Athens in 2017 (both wins were in Athens) and is 3-1 in his head coaching career
- Georgia is 8-10 when playing Georgia Tech in Atlanta

A Look at What's Ahead
The Bulldogs open Southeastern Conference play next Wednesday, Sept. 22 with a showdown against South Carolina in Columbia. The 7 p.m. match will air on SEC Network. This will be the third season in a row the Bulldogs and Gamecocks kick off SEC play against each other. Georgia will return home to Stegeman Coliseum to host No. 14 Florida Sept. 29.

Let's Recap
Georgia continued its nine-match road swing over the weekend at the UCF Invitational in Orlando. The Bulldogs fell in a five-set battle with Florida State on Thursday. Junior Kacie Evans tallied a career-best 29 kills and 18 digs in the contest. In all, Georgia had five players top double-digit digs against the Seminoles. After a four-set loss to FGCU on Friday, the Bulldogs rebounded in a comeback five-set victory against host UCF on Saturday. Georgia had to battle back from down 2-1 in the match to take down the Knights on the home court.

Coming Out Strong
This season, Georgia has come out of the gate strong, winning the opening set in eight of its nine matches played, only falling in the first set against Omaha (9/4). The Bulldogs have taken opening sets by an average of five points.

Aces Wild
The Bulldogs have had a history of excellent serving under Tom Black and 2021 has been no exception. Through nine matches, Georgia is fifth in the SEC with 1.34 aces per set and second with 94 total aces. Individually, junior Amber Stivrins is also fifth in the league with 12 total aces this season.

Rookies Shine on Opening Weekend
Georgia saw four freshmen play in every set on opening weekend, three starting all 11 sets. Setter Clara Brower handed out 10.09 assists per set and ran an offense that hit .299 as a team. She also contributed 17 digs and seven blocks. Outside hitter turned middle blocker Lyric Stewart tallied 2.36 kills per set, hit .467 on the weekend, and led the team with 12 blocks. Outside hitter Abby Maesch led the team with 30 kills and 2.73 kills per set. Defensive specialist Bailey cox put up 18 digs (1.64 d/s) and laid down four service aces.

Bulldogs Set for Strong 2021 Slate of Matches
Eight opponents on Georgia's schedule appeared in the 2020 NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament, three of which played in the Elite Eight round. Six of Georgia's opponents concluded the season in the AVCA Top 25 including top-10 finishers Kentucky, Florida, and Nebraska.

Blocking Improves in 2020-21
Georgia concluded the 2020-21 season ranked fourth in the SEC in blocking as a team, completing the campaign with 2.25 blocks per set. It was the highest finish in the category under Tom Black. SEC All-Freshman Team member Phoebe Awoleye finished top-five in the league with 1.05 blocks per set as a rookie.

Breaking Down the Roster
The Bulldogs' roster features 17 student-athletes with a mix of experienced and new talent. Overall, each position on the court comes with a significant amount of depth. The roster breaks down to five seniors, three juniors and sophomores each, and a total of six freshman, five of which are true freshmen. Position wise, the Bulldogs have a near perfect mix at each position. Georgia returns five starters plus its starting libero from last season.

Bulldogs Set for Final Weekend of Non-Conference Action

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Players Mentioned

Phoebe Awoleye

Clara Brower

Kacie Evans

Abby Maesch

Lyric Stewart

Amber Stivrins