UGA volleyball completes four-game weekend sweep

ATHENS, Ga— The Georgia Bulldog volleyball team swept 12 consecutive sets for a 4-0 opening weekend in the Benson Hospitality Invitational at the Ramsey Center.

Georgia followed up its first two wins on Friday with victories over the UNC Asheville Bulldogs and the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds on Saturday in front of a packed house of Bulldog faithfuls.

“It’s exciting. I learned a lot with the girls,” said first-year head coach Tom Black said. “It was great to see the environment and how much support there is for us. It’s part of why we came [to Georgia]. It was great to see.”

In the afternoon tilt against UNC Asheville, Georgia took the opening set behind a pair of freshmen efforts. Freshman T’ara Ceasar’s six first-set kills and freshman Brynn Chandler’s set-point ace propelled the hosting Bulldogs to a 25-17 win.

Similar Georgia control continued into the second and third sets, as the Bulldogs won 25-13 in the second and 25-18 in the third, powered defensively by senior Cassidy Anderson’s team-leading 11 digs and junior Majesti Bass’ team-high 13 kills offensively.

The nightcap featured scores of 25-18, 25-20, 25-15 in a sweep of the Blackbirds. Ceasar recorded familiar first-set kill numbers with six, complimented by five digs. Tight scoring progressed into the second set before Georgia distanced itself by the end of the third frame, complete with a final 10-point margin.

Sophomore Meghan Donovan orchestrated 33 game-leading assists while teammates Ceasar, freshman Rachel Ritchie and Bass capped their respective kills at 13, 12 and nine. The Bulldogs corralled 45 digs, highlighted by freshman Kendall Glover’s 11, to go with six blocks on the match.

The undefeated Bulldogs will be back in action next weekend in Athens, Ohio, as they take on a trio of opponents in the Ohio Invitational. On Friday, Georgia takes on the host Ohio Bobcats at 10 a.m. ET and the High Point Panthers at 5 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs will conclude play in the on Saturday with an 11 a.m. ET first serve against the Oklahoma Sooners.