Bulldogs Host No. 22 Florida Wednesday at Stegeman

Georgia (4-8, 0-1)
vs. #22 Florida (7-5, 1-1)
Date: Friday, Sept. 29, 2021
First Serve: 7 p.m., ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Arena: Stegeman Coliseum
     Admission: FREE (no tickets required)

Media Information
TV: ESPNU
   Play-by-play: Eric Frede
   Analysis: Katie George
Streaming: Watch ESPN / ESPN app
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter: @UGAvolleyball

First Serve
Georgia volleyball returns to Athens to welcome No. 22 Florida to Stegeman Coliseum this Wednesday evening. First serve on ESPNU is slated for 7 p.m. between in the Bulldogs and Gators.

Follow the Bulldogs
» Wednesday's match will air nationally on ESPNU. Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Katie George (analyst) will be on the call.
» Wednesday's match can be streamed live via Watch ESPN and the ESPN app.
» 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.

Upcoming Promotions and Fan Information at Stegeman - vs. Florida
Sept. 29 vs. Florida Promotions
» Wear Red!
   - First 500 fans will receive a free red t-shirt
   - First 300 students can sign up to win prizes through the Commit to the G app
» National Coffee Day
   - First 300 students will receive coffee and donuts courtesy of Community Coffee and Kroger
Fan Information
» Admission is FREE to all regular-season home volleyball matches.
» The SEC Clear Bag Policy will be in effect.
» New core concessions prices include:
     - $2.50 – Jumbo hot dogs, 20 oz. bottle and fountain sodas
     - $2.00 – 20 oz bottle Dasani, candy, popcorn tub
» All concessions and merchandise transactions are cashless/contactless.
     - Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover are accepted.

BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series History
- Georgia trails the all-time series 10-67
- In Athens, the Bulldogs are 5-28 against Florida
- Last season, Georgia snapped a 19-match losing streak to the Gators, taking down then-No. 5 Florida in four sets in Gainesville; it was the first win over Florida since a five-set win in Athens in 2008 and Georgia's first win in Gainesville since 1986

A Look at What's Ahead
Georgia travels to Fayetteville, Arkansas for a road match against the Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday. First serve is at 6 p.m., ET. The Bulldogs' road swing continues next week with two matches at Texas A&M Thursday and Friday.

Let's Recap
Southeastern Conference play opened last week when the Bulldogs took on South Carolina in Columbia. Georgia came out on top of a back-and-forth opening set to take the first set of conference play. South Carolina rebounded to take the next two and go ahead 2-1 in the match. The Bulldogs found momentum in set four and even the match with a 25-17 win in the frame. The momentum shifted again in the fifth as South Carolina rolled to a 15-7 set five victory to take the close match. Junior Kacie Evans tallied her third double-double of the season in the contest. As a team, Georgia put up a season-best 15 blocks.

Coming Out Strong
This season, Georgia has come out of the gate strong, winning the opening set in 10 of its 12 matches played. 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 11 matched, Georgia is third in the SEC with 67 total services aces this season. Individually, junior Amber Stivrins ranked third in the SEC with 17.

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.

This season, Awoleye is leading the SEC with 54 total blocks and is just outside the top 10 with 1.08 blocks per set. As a team, Georgia's 109 total blocks ranked third in the league.

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.

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.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Phoebe Awoleye

Clara Brower

Kacie Evans

Abby Maesch

Lyric Stewart

Amber Stivrins