Alabama
Georgia
Alabama Volleyball Falls in Sunday Road Match to Georgia
10/6/2019 3:12:00 PM | Volleyball
ATHENS, Ga. – Alabama volleyball dropped a three-set decision to Georgia Sunday in Stegeman Coliseum.
Alabama (10-5, 2-2 SEC) fought back late in the first set against Georgia (11-4, 3-1 SEC) but ultimately fell, 25-22, before seeing an eight-point lead in the second erased to eventually drop a 25-23 decision. The Bulldogs built a double-digit lead in the third before the Crimson Tide fought back within a point late, but eventually fell by two, 25-23.
Senior Ginger Perinar led the team with 10 kills, adding an ace and a block assist for 11.5 points. Freshman Emily Janek finished with 27 of the team's 34 assists and junior Kaylee Thomas again led the back-row defense with 17 digs.
STAT LEADERS
- Kills – Ginger Perinar (10)
- Assists – Emily Janek (27)
- Digs – Kaylee Thomas (17)
- Blocks – Alyiah Wells (4)
SET-BY-SET
- Set One (Georgia 25, Alabama 22): Georgia scored the first point of the opening set and remained in front, holding a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. After the break, a 4-1 run for the Tide knotted the score up at 16-16 and the Bulldogs took a timeout. Alabama took its first lead three points later when a kill from sophomore Erin Curl made it 18-17. After four tie scores, the Bulldogs retook the lead at 22-21 and the Tide called a late timeout. Alabama spent its final timeout after the next rally when Georgia pulled ahead 23-21 and the Bulldogs held on to win by three.
- Set Two (Georgia 25, Alabama 23): Alabama jumped ahead to an early 6-3 lead, scoring three in a row before Georgia called a timeout. The scoring run continued after the break, with four more unanswered points stretching the lead to 10-3 before the Bulldogs called their second timeout. A kill from senior Ginger Perinar on the next rally made it 11-3 before a service error finally snapped the scoring streak. Two more points for Georgia made it a five-point game and Alabama took its first timeout ahead 11-6. Later with the score 13-7, a 5-0 run from the Bulldogs brought the home team within one. A service error ended the run and started a 5-1 swing for the Tide to push ahead 18-13. Georgia quickly answered back with three-straight to draw back within two points, forcing an Alabama timeout. Three more from the Bulldogs after the break gave the home team its first lead of the set, 19-18. The score would be tied five times down the stretch but Georgia held on to win by two and take a 2-0 match lead.
- Set Two (Georgia 25, Alabama 23): Georgia started the third set with eight unanswered points and the Bulldogs eventually pulled ahead by double digits just past the halfway mark at 15-5. Alabama took its second timeout trailing 17-7. Trailing by the same margin later, 20-10, the Tide scored five in a row to cut the deficit in half before the Bulldogs took a timeout with the score now 20-15. Trailing 23-16, Alabama made a late push with four unanswered points before Georgia took a timeout with its lead trimmed to three, 23-20. Two more from the Tide made it a one-point game but the Bulldogs just edged it out in the end, winning by two to complete the sweep.
KEYS TO THE MATCH
- After not posting fewer than 10 team blocks in any SEC match so far this season, Alabama was held to six against Georgia, its third-lowest total of the season
- Alabama jumped ahead to an eight-point lead over Georgia in the second but allowed the Bulldogs to fight back and eventually win the set. Georgia moved ahead by double digits in the third before a late push from the Tide made it a one-point game at 23-22, but some close calls in the end gave Georgia the narrow two-point win to complete the sweep.
UP NEXT
Alabama returns to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday, Oct. 9, hosting Mississippi State (11-5, 0-4 SEC) at 6 p.m. CT live on ESPNU.
For the latest information on the team, follow @AlabamaVball on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Volleyball on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
