Sean Stevenson
Associate Director of Sports Communications & Creative Strategy
#25 Georgia (0-0)
at the Seminole Invitational
Dates: Friday, Aug. 30 – Sunday, Sept. 1
Location: Tallahassee, Fla.
Arena: Tully Gymnasium
Georgia’s Tournament Schedule:
Friday, Aug. 30, 3 p.m. – vs. UC Santa Barbara
Saturday, Aug. 31, 1 p.m. – vs. USF
Sunday, Sept. 1, 3 p.m. – at #20 Florida State
Media Information
TV: ACC Network (Sunday at Florida State only)
Play-by-play: Danny Waugh
Analyst: Madison Fitzpatrick
Streaming: ESPN.com and ESPN app (Sunday at Florida State only)
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter/X: @UGAvolleyball
Complete Match Notes Attached
First Serve
The 25th-ranked Georgia volleyball team opens the 2024 season this weekend at the Seminole Invitational at Tully Gymnasium in Tallahassee, Florida. The Bulldogs will face off against UC Santa Barbara, USF, and No. 20 Florida State on opening weekend.
Follow the Bulldogs
- Sunday's top-25 matchup against No. 20 Florida State will air live on ACC Network and stream on ACC Network Extra. Danny Waugh (play-by-play) and Madison Fitzpatrick (analysis) will be on the call.
- Sunday's match can be streamed live on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
- Live stat links can be found on the volleyball schedule on GeorgiaDogs.com.
- Twitter/X updates will be available all season long on the official page of the Bulldogs, @UGAvolleyball.
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series Histories
UCSB
- Georgia trails the all-time series 0-1.
- UCSB won the lone series meeting in four sets on Sept. 3, 2011 in Malibu, California.
South Florida
- Georgia leads the all-time series 5-2.
- The Bulldogs and Bulls met six times in the 1980's and have only played once since 1989. Georgia lost the last meeting in five sets in Tampa in 2003.
Florida State
- Georgia trails the all-time series 10-12.
- The Bulldogs are 5-5 against the Seminoles in Tallahassee. Georgia has not played in Tallahassee since 2012.
- Georgia and FSU have played twice during the Tom Black era (2021 in Orlando; 2023 in Athens); FSU won both of those matches.
Georgia Ranked in AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll
The Bulldogs will begin the season ranked No. 25 in the AVCA/Taraflex Coaches Poll. This is Georgia's first top-25 ranking since opening the 1996 season at No. 24. Georgia joins five other SEC teams (#1 Texas, #9 Kentucky, #11 Florida, #15 Tennessee, #19 Arkansas) ranked in the top 25 with two more teams (Missouri, Auburn) receiving votes in the preseason poll. Along with Georgia football (#1) and Georgia soccer (#24), this is the first time in Georgia history all three programs have been ranked in the top 25 at the same time.
Fischer Tabbed Preseason All-SEC
Graduate middle blocker Sophie Fischer was named to the 2024 Preseason All-SEC team. The reigning SEC Player of the Year finished last season as the nation's highest-scoring middle blocker. She became the second Bulldog to be named the SEC Player of the Year and just the fifth Georgia player to garner AVCA All-America status.
Fischer Competes on International Stage in the offseason
Sophie Fischer competed with the U.S. Women’s National Team at the NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six in June. Team USA won the silver medal in Santo Domingo. She totaled nine points in the gold medal match.
Bulldogs Add Power from the Transfer Portal
Georgia added a trio of SEC transfers during the offseason. Outside hitters Bianna Muoneke (sophomore, Texas A&M) and Erykah Lovett (grad, Tennessee) announced their transfer to Georgia in December. Middle blocker Kendal Kemp (junior, Auburn) announced her transfer in May. Muoneke and Lovett are expected to make an immediate impact on the outside for the Bulldogs in 2024. Due to transfer rules, Kemp will not be eligible to play this season.
Lending a Helping Hand
Senior setter Clara Brower ranked fourth in the SEC with 10.36 assists per set last season. The Bulldogs concluded the regular season hitting .243, fifth best in the SEC. In her fourth season running the offense, Brower now ranks ninth all-time in total assists with over 2,645 in her career.
Cox Is Georgia's Newest 1,000 Dig Club Member
Senior Bailey Cox recorded the 1,000th dig of her career on Dec. 1, 2023 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last season against Arizona State. She is the 23rd member of Georgia's 1,000 Dig Club.
Georgia Picked Fourth in SEC Preseason Poll
The head volleyball coaches of the SEC picked Georgia to finish fourth in the league in 2024. Georgia finished the season 10-8 last season, tied for fifth. Georgia made its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, falling in the opening round in Provo, Utah.
Trevor Johnson Joins Coaching Staff
Trevor Johnson joined Tom Black's coaching staff as an assistant coach in June. Johnson most recently served as the head coach at Liberty from 2018 to 2023, where he amassed 89 wins in six seasons as the Lady Flames' coach. Liberty topped 20 wins two times under Johnson, going 21-12 in 2019 and 23-9 in 2022. The Lady Flames made NIVC appearances in both seasons, including an Elite Eight run in 2019.
Rule Changes Approved for 2024 Season
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved allowing women's volleyball players to contact the ball more than once with any part of the body in a single attempt on a team's second contact when the ball is played to a teammate. The panel also approved each team being allowed to designate two liberos for each set of the match. Only one libero would be allowed on the court at a time, and the libero would be allowed to serve in one position.
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