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Olivia Sayer
The Georgia volleyball team stands in a line during the UGA vs UCONN volleyball match at the Ramsey Center in Athens, Georgia on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. (Photo/ Laney Martin; @laneymartinphotography)
Georgia volleyball lost in a back-and-forth battle against No. 3 Florida, 3-2, Sunday evening at Exactech Arena in Gainesville, Florida.
Despite the loss, multiple Bulldogs had career games. Senior Sophie Fischer had a career-high 20 kills and hit .310 on the outside. Graduate Kacie Evans tallied 18 kills, and junior Clara Brower earned her sixth double-double of the season with 51 assists and 14 digs.
Sophomore Estelle Haugen had herself a night with a career-best 18 kills. Haugen also earned her first career double-double, with 15 digs.
On the defensive side, junior Bailey Cox recorded 11 digs, while Fischer contributed with nine blocks.
The first set began with Georgia dominating, as the Bulldogs won seven of the first eight points and caused the Gators to sacrifice a timeout early. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, this ignited Florida, as it tied the set at 11. With Georgia leading 18-17, two remarkable serves earned the Gators their first lead, 19-18. Not ready to surrender, Georgia responded with back-to-back points. However, it was not enough to prevent the Gator comeback, as Florida won the opening set 25-22.
From the start, it was clear the second set was going to be a close one. The two teams took turns alternating punches until the score was tied at 16. Back-to-back points by the Gators forced Georgia to exhaust its first timeout. The Bulldogs then won four of the next five enthralling rallies to take the lead 23-21. Despite a late Florida timeout, Georgia stayed steadfast, winning the set 25-22 and tying the match 1-1.
After being tied at eight, the third set saw Georgia go on a 6-1 run to take the lead 14-9. Florida was not going to just gift wrap the set, however, as the Gators responded with four straight points, trimming the lead to 14-12. Back-and-forth rallies saw the set tied at 16 and later at 19. Leading 25-22, a kill and an ace for Fischer provided the dagger in the 25-22 victory and 2-1 lead in the match for the Bulldogs.
In set four, Georgia jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but Florida rallied to take the lead 5-4. Both teams fought hard to make the score 14-13 in favor of the Bulldogs. Georgia and Florida exchanged blows until the score was tied at 21. Two Florida kills gave the Gators a 23-21 lead and an eventual 25-23 set victory, which forced a fifth set.
In the fifth set, Georgia once again jumped out to an early lead, causing the Gators to expend a timeout. Down 9-8, Florida went on a run to take a 11-9 lead. Following a service error and a kill by Haugen, the Gators showcased why they are the No. 3 team in the nation, winning the final set 15-11.
The 3-2 loss by the Bulldogs dropped them to 0-1 in conference play, with a 9-4 overall record overall. The Gators stand at 10-1 and 2-0 in conference play.