Alabama Volleyball Earns First SEC Win Sunday in Five-Set Thriller over Georgia

Sunday, October 6

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

2 p.m. CT

Alabama

9-5,1-2SEC

Georgia

6-7,0-3SEC

Georgia

Alabama

Alabama Volleyball Earns First SEC Win Sunday in Five-Set Thriller over Georgia

10/6/2024 6:14:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

The Crimson Tide rallied from a 2-1 match deficit to defeat the Bulldogs in five sets Sunday

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Needing a win in the fourth set to keep the match going, Alabama pushed to a 25-18 win over Georgia to force a fifth set, which the Crimson Tide won, 15-11, for its first SEC win of the season and its first home win over the Bulldogs since 2015.

Alabama (9-5, 1-2 SEC) snapped a six-match winning streak by Georgia (6-7, 0-3 SEC) in the all-time series, with Sunday's win marking the first for the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa over the Bulldogs since Oct. 25, 2015. The two teams split the opening sets before Georgia won the third, 25-22, to give the visitors a 2-1 match advantage heading to the fourth. Alabama jumped ahead immediately in the fourth, leading 12-7 by the time the Bulldogs had already spent both their timeouts. Georgia drew as close as three points, but the Tide stayed in front the rest of the way to win, 25-18, and force the fifth set.

Neither team lead by more than two points in set five until a kill from Sophie Agee put Alabama ahead 8-5 at the halfway mark. A kill from Chaise Campbell later gave the Tide match point at 14-8 but the Bulldogs tried to fight back with their backs against the wall, scoring three unanswered before Alabama called a timeout. Up 14-11 after the break, a line shot from Kaleigh Palmer sealed it as the point was upheld following a review for the Tide to win, 15-11, and take the match in five sets.

From Head Coach Rashinda Reed

"I'm incredibly proud of our team. We were relentless about focusing on the little things and I think we really cleaned a lot of those up. This team doesn't give up, they fight constantly until the end. They had this in them all along and we have talked a lot about finishing matches and they really took to heart all the work we were putting in this week to get ready for this match."

Notes

The win snaps a six-match winning streak for Georgia in the all-time series and is Alabama's first home win over the Bulldogs since Oct. 25, 2015
As a team, the Tide's 15.5 blocks are the most since totaling 18 against Ole Miss on Nov. 3, 2019
Alabama had four players with double-digit kills, led by 19 from Sophie Agee
Kaleigh Palmer finished with career highs in kills (14) and blocks (7)
Chaise Campbell led the team with a career-best nine blocks, putting her just four shy of the 300th of her career
Jordyn Towns stuffed a career-high six blocks and tied her career best with 10 kills