Match Stats
In a tough four set battle, Alabama fought past the typical ending point of 25 points in two sets, eventually taking the match with a fourth set scored of 30-28.
In a stellar career-tying night, Krystal Rivers carried the Crimson Tide to victory with 38 kills hitting for .485 and adding four blocks. Brittany Thomas contributed eight kills and 11 digs for Alabama.
For Georgia, Maddie Lobenstein led with 18 kills and Caroline Ostman recorded her second double-double of the year with 11 kills and 11 digs. Libero Cassidy Anderson picked up 16 digs.
Press Release
Courtesy of Alabama Athletics
ATHENS, Ga. – Alabama volleyball opened its weekend road trip with a four-set win over Georgia, taking the first two sets by scores of 32-30 and 25-15 before the Bulldogs rallied to win the third, 21-25, and the Tide won the fourth, 30-28.
Alabama (13-3, 2-1 SEC) won the first two sets before Georgia (12-4, 0-3 SEC) avoided the sweep with a win in the third, snapping a streak of 13-straight sets won by the Tide over the Bulldogs. The fourth went past 25 points but Alabama held on to win, 30-28, and notch its sixth-straight win over Georgia. Krystal Rivers led the Tide offense with 38 kills, tying a career high, along with a .485 hitting percentage. Shannon Mikesky and Abolanle Onipede each posted season highs in blocks with six and four, respectively, while Brittany Thomas was two kills shy of a double-double with eight kills and 11 digs.
Georgia scored the first point of the opening set and briefly led 2-1 before Alabama scored back-to-back points to pull ahead 3-2 and the Tide remained in front for the rest of the first half. A kill by Thomas made it a four-point lead at the halfway mark, 13-9, but the Bulldogs closed the gap and eventually tied it at 14-14 until a service error gave the Tide a 15-14 lead at the media timeout. After two more tie scores, Georgia retook the lead, 17-16, and added two more points to its lead before Alabama took a timeout trialing 19-16. The Tide rallied to tie it at 21-21 and eventually retake the lead on a kill by Mikesky, 23-22, before the Bulldogs took its final timeout. Alabama hit set point first, 24-23, but Georgia rallied to pull ahead 25-24 and force the Tide into a late timeout. Georgia would hit set point four more times but Alabama held strong to eventually win the lengthy set, 32-30.
After five tie scores early in set two, Alabama started to pull away as the teams neared the halfway mark. Leading 11-9, the Tide scored four-straight points to lead 15-9 at the media timeout and a block after the break stretched it to five unanswered points before a service error ended the streak with Alabama up 16-10. Georgia took its first timeout of the set trailing 20-11 and its second facing the same nine-point deficit, 23-14. Alabama eventually won the set, 25-15, to take a 2-0 match lead at intermission.
Georgia came out strongly after intermission, leading 7-2 as Alabama took an early timeout and then rallied with four-straight points to draw within one, 7-6, with Georgia taking its own timeout. The Tide took it second timeout trailing 16-12 and would face a five-point deficit at set point, 24-19. Kills by Thomas and Rivers kept the set going and drew Alabama within three points as Georgia took a timeout still at set point, 24-21. The Bulldogs would win it on the next point, 25-21, to avoid the sweep.
An early 6-3 lead by Georgia in set four was quickly erased with six-straight points by the Tide to flip the lead in Alabama’s favor, 9-6. The Tide remained in front at Georgia’s first timeout, 13-8, and extended the lead to seven points at the Bulldogs’ second timeout, 19-12. Three quick points by Georgia cut Alabama’s lead to 19-15 as the Tide took a timeout. Alabama reached match point, 24-20, but Georgia kept the match alive with three-straight points to force a late Tide timeout. The Bulldogs kept rolling after the break, reaching set point after back-to-back scores, 25-24, but a challenged call on the next point went in Alabama’s favor to tie it at 25-25. After three more tie scores down the stretch, Alabama eventually held on to win, 30-28, and seal the 3-1 match victory.
Next up, Alabama faces Mississippi State (9-7, 1-1 SEC) on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 3 p.m. CT in Starkville, Miss. The match will be broadcast live on the SEC Network with Melissa Lee and Bailey Webster on the call.
Press Release
Courtesy of Georgia Athletics
ATHENS, Ga. — The Bulldogs fought hard in their conference home opener, but Georgia (12-4, 0-3) fell just short against Alabama (13-3, 2-1) in a tight battle, 3-1, at the Ramsey Center on Friday night.
Two sets needed extra points to be decided, and they proved to be the difference as both went to the Crimson Tide to give the guests the victory by set scores of 32-30, 25-15, 21-25, and 30-28.
Maddie Lobenstein led the home side with 18 kills while sophomore Caroline Ostman posted her second double-double of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs in the contest. Junior libero Cassidy Anderson led the Bulldogs with 16 digs on the night.
“We had a really great effort tonight,” said head coach Lizzy Stemke. “We missed some executions here and there, which we ended up needing at the end of sets. I thought we were back to our scoring game, which we have worked on all week. We definitely put ourselves in positions to score, which is something we have been working on all season.”
The Bulldogs came out strong at the onset, but Alabama proved up to the task by fighting off several set points to take a hard-fought 32-30 first set. The Tide then extended its lead to 2-0 with a 25-15 second set to take control of the match into the intermission.
Georgia started fast out of the locker room, jumping out to a 7-2 lead and forcing a quick timeout. Alabama was able to draw within one point at 7-6, but the Bulldogs were able to keep their opponent at arm’s length for the rest of the set and claimed a 25-21 set three.
Set four went in Alabama’s favor as they defeated the Bulldogs 30-28. Georgia showcased its grit late in the set, clawing back from a 19-12 deficit to eventually take a 25-24 lead. Similar to the first set, the teams battled deep into play before Alabama emerged victorious with a 30-28 tally in the final frame.
Georgia is back in action Sunday to continue SEC play as it takes on Auburn in the Ramsey Center at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Leave a Reply