Georgia Defeats Jacksonville, Utah Valley to Close Tournament Action

Saturday, September 14

Athens, Ga.

10:30 a.m.

University of Georgia

5-3,0-0SEC

Jacksonville

3-6,0-0ASUN

Jacksonville

Georgia

Georgia Defeats Jacksonville, Utah Valley to Close Tournament Action

September 14, 2024 | Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

Volleyball | vs. Jacksonville | W, 3-0
Set scores: 25-14, 25-18, 25-16
Volleyball | vs. Utah Valley | W, 3-1
Set scores: 18-25, 25-12, 25-17, 25-15
Season Record: 6-3

Georgia Defeats Jacksonville, Utah Valley to Close Tournament Action

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia volleyball team swept Jacksonville (25-14, 25-18, 25-16) and defeated Utah Valley (18-25, 25-12, 25-17, 25-15) on Saturday at Stegeman Coliseum to close out action of the Classic City Clash.

The 3-0 weekend propels Georgia to a 6-3 record on the season.

Fast Facts vs. Jacksonville

Georgia hit a season-high .395 in the match and held Jacksonville to a .086 hitting clip. Georgia held the Dolphins to just 36.0 points in the match.
Sophomore Ceci Gooch led the Georgia offense with nine kills, followed by eight from Bianna Muoneke.
On defense, Bailey Cox and Erykah Lovett each put up eight digs while Sophie Fischer had six blocks. As a team, Georgia tied a season-best 13 blocks.
Ana Julie Bleeker and Cox each tallied three aces at the service line, combining for six of Georgia's nine.
After getting her first career kill on Friday, freshman Emma Duffield played in all three sets Saturday morning. She recorded four kills on 14 swings with six digs and an ace.

Fast Facts vs. Utah Valley

Fischer led the Bulldog offense with 14 kills. She committed no errors on 25 attempts for a .560 hitting clip. She also picked up five aces and six blocks in the match.
Lovett also tipped the double-digit kill mark with 10 on the evening. She put up eight digs, narrowly missing a double-double.
Fischer's five aces led the Bulldogs to 15 team aces. Cox was next with three on the night. Six serves all had at least one ace.
After dropping the opening set 25-18, the Bulldogs responded with a huge 25-12 win in set two to even the match, hitting .478 in the set. Georgia hit .500 in the third to go ahead 2-1 in the match.

Key Quotes
Graduate Sophie Fischer
On how she felt about her performance in both matches today...
"I feel like it's just kind of been a grind for the whole team. I think that preseason has been long and, obviously, last weekend we went to five-setters with all three teams. So it was definitely challenging but I think that we stuck together and competed and fought this weekend, and I'm really proud of everyone."

On the team's mindset as the level of competition rises...
"Every single day in practice, keep raising a new standard for ourselves and keep challenging ourselves and even our teammates too and holding each other accountable."

Graduate Erykah Lovett
On the team's energy levels as the tournament progressed…
"As a team, we knew the energy that it would take for us to go out there because when people come into this gym, they want to beat us. If we're not at 100%, we're not going to be able to do the things we need to do and handle business."

On her jumping abilities…
"I take a lot of pride because I think that people underestimate me as a blocker. I know that, for my team, I have to max jump every time, I have to get my hands over the net because if that's not happening, then it falls onto someone else. Knowing that I need to do my job to help my team is really important to me."

Up Next
Georgia hosts No. 15 Georgia Tech next Friday, Sept. 20 at Stegeman Coliseum in the Bulldogs' non-conference finale. It's a WEAR RED match and the first 500 fans will take home a red replica Georgia volleyball jersey.