University of Georgia Athletics
Bulldogs Dispatch Nerves, Ospreys In Opener
August 28, 2026 | Volleyball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
The first serve of the Georgia volleyball season was launched at 10:30 Friday morning inside Stegeman Coliseum, where the Bulldogs were facing off against North Florida in the Classic City Clash. It was an early start, but the Bulldogs were used to it.
"We've been practicing in the morning, so at least we were ready to go," said sophomore setter Chloe Elarton after Georgia's 3-0 win over the Ospreys.
In a tight opening set, Georgia led 20-19 before closing things out 25-21 with a 5-2 run. Freshman outside hitter Gigi Artiles finished it off with an ace on set point. North Florida led the second set 11-8 before the Bulldogs took control, taking the lead for good at 16-15 on a kill by sophomore outside hitter Marin Collins. At 18-17, Georgia went on a 4-0 run to pull away for good and close out the set 25-19.
"I think we got a lot of our first-game jitters out, and by the third set, we were really in our rhythm, playing as a team," said Elarton, who had 21 of the Bulldogs' 32 assists, as well as five digs, in the victory.
The third set was all Bulldogs. They raced out to a 9-1 lead and closed out the match with a 25-14 win. There is a lot to work on, Georgia head coach Tom Black said, but it was a solid start to the season.
"It felt like a first match," said Black, who is in his 10th season with the Bulldogs. "They felt a lot of nerves in the first two sets. North Florida was good, but I thought we were really sloppy. I thought the third set was good; Tori (Harper) and Ceci (Gooch) came in and made some good contributions.
"So much of the first match is hoping for the 'W' and getting it out of the way. Hopefully we can come in and have a little better rhythm this evening."
The Bulldogs will take on George Washington at 7 tonight, and then wrap up their opening weekend Saturday at 6 p.m. against Furman.
For the 6-foot-2 Artiles, the prep Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida last year, it was a very strong debut. She led the Bulldogs with 10 kills and had a game-high 12 points.
"I think it was really fun. It's, obviously, super fun to play with these girls, and super fun to be coached by these coaches," Artiles said, adding, "Surprisingly, I wasn't really nervous. I thought I would be, but I actually really wasn't. I think being surrounded by the people I'm surrounded with obviously helps. I know what I'm doing; we've been practicing it over and over, so I just kind of let it all out on the floor."
Black said he expected a lot from Artiles when he signed her, and she has not disappointed at all during the preseason and through her first match.
"I thought she was amazing today. She was hitting like a truck," he said. "She's going to be a special player, for sure. You could see it in some of her swings — she's hitting from the back row harder than some people can hit in the front row."
Graduate outside hitter Bianna Muoneke, a first-team All-SEC player last season, also had a solid opener. She finished with nine kills and seven digs. Collins, who missed all of last season at Penn State with an injury and was also making her collegiate debut, added six kills, five digs and four blocks.
There will be things to clean up going forward, of course, like 11 service errors, though the Bulldogs did have seven aces. Black said the serving got better as the match progress, not just limiting the errors but also putting more pressure on North Florida with the serve, and he things serving can be a strength for Georgia this season.
"I think we can serve pretty tough," he said. "We have a couple of servers that if they got hot, we can put some pressure on the other team."
Staff Writer
The first serve of the Georgia volleyball season was launched at 10:30 Friday morning inside Stegeman Coliseum, where the Bulldogs were facing off against North Florida in the Classic City Clash. It was an early start, but the Bulldogs were used to it.
"We've been practicing in the morning, so at least we were ready to go," said sophomore setter Chloe Elarton after Georgia's 3-0 win over the Ospreys.
In a tight opening set, Georgia led 20-19 before closing things out 25-21 with a 5-2 run. Freshman outside hitter Gigi Artiles finished it off with an ace on set point. North Florida led the second set 11-8 before the Bulldogs took control, taking the lead for good at 16-15 on a kill by sophomore outside hitter Marin Collins. At 18-17, Georgia went on a 4-0 run to pull away for good and close out the set 25-19.
"I think we got a lot of our first-game jitters out, and by the third set, we were really in our rhythm, playing as a team," said Elarton, who had 21 of the Bulldogs' 32 assists, as well as five digs, in the victory.
The third set was all Bulldogs. They raced out to a 9-1 lead and closed out the match with a 25-14 win. There is a lot to work on, Georgia head coach Tom Black said, but it was a solid start to the season.
"It felt like a first match," said Black, who is in his 10th season with the Bulldogs. "They felt a lot of nerves in the first two sets. North Florida was good, but I thought we were really sloppy. I thought the third set was good; Tori (Harper) and Ceci (Gooch) came in and made some good contributions.
"So much of the first match is hoping for the 'W' and getting it out of the way. Hopefully we can come in and have a little better rhythm this evening."
The Bulldogs will take on George Washington at 7 tonight, and then wrap up their opening weekend Saturday at 6 p.m. against Furman.
For the 6-foot-2 Artiles, the prep Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida last year, it was a very strong debut. She led the Bulldogs with 10 kills and had a game-high 12 points.
"I think it was really fun. It's, obviously, super fun to play with these girls, and super fun to be coached by these coaches," Artiles said, adding, "Surprisingly, I wasn't really nervous. I thought I would be, but I actually really wasn't. I think being surrounded by the people I'm surrounded with obviously helps. I know what I'm doing; we've been practicing it over and over, so I just kind of let it all out on the floor."
Black said he expected a lot from Artiles when he signed her, and she has not disappointed at all during the preseason and through her first match.
"I thought she was amazing today. She was hitting like a truck," he said. "She's going to be a special player, for sure. You could see it in some of her swings — she's hitting from the back row harder than some people can hit in the front row."
Graduate outside hitter Bianna Muoneke, a first-team All-SEC player last season, also had a solid opener. She finished with nine kills and seven digs. Collins, who missed all of last season at Penn State with an injury and was also making her collegiate debut, added six kills, five digs and four blocks.
There will be things to clean up going forward, of course, like 11 service errors, though the Bulldogs did have seven aces. Black said the serving got better as the match progress, not just limiting the errors but also putting more pressure on North Florida with the serve, and he things serving can be a strength for Georgia this season.
"I think we can serve pretty tough," he said. "We have a couple of servers that if they got hot, we can put some pressure on the other team."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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