University of South Alabama Athletics

MOBILE, Ala. | Georgia's Bianna Mouneke recorded 17 kills and the Bulldogs posted 12 service aces as South Alabama fell 3-0 (25-18, 25-10, 25-23) Saturday night at the South Alabama Invitational held at Jaguar Gym.

Eva Dittmar and Cambria Gaier posted six kills each to lead the Jaguars (3-5) offensively. Gaier also led the club with four total blocks – one solo and three assists – and recorded two of South's four aces.

Georgia (6-2) posted 43 kills and hit .415, committing just nine errors in its 82 attempts.

How It Happened 
Set 1 – Georgia 25, South Alabama 18
•    KEY MOMENT: Holding a three-point advantage (9-6), Georgia reeled off five-straight points to grab the momentum
•    Dalayla Blackwell cut the Jaguar deficit to 9-6 with a kill, but Kendell Kemp answered with a kill for the Bulldogs on the ensuing rally to ignite a 5-0 run for the visitors
•    Georgia added a pair of aces from Ana Julia Bleeker during the run and Tori Harper gave UGA a 14-6 advantage with a kill to cap off the scoring
•    UGA later extended its lead out to as much as 11 (20-9) en route to the 25-18 set win
•    The Bulldogs posted their best offensive numbers in the opening frame, recording 17 kills and a .533 attack percentage
•    Harper led Georgia with six kills, while Mouneke added five in the set

Set 2 – Georgia 25, South Alabama 10
•    KEY MOMENT: Led by its service game, Georgia opened up the second set by taking six of the first seven points
•    Gigi Artiles led the way during the early run as she recorded three aces, including back-to-back aces to cap off the scoring
•    Holding a 12-6 advantage, the Bulldogs broke things open with seven unanswered points, as Mouneke slammed home one of her six kills in the frame to cap off the run and give Georgia the 13-point advantage
•    Georgia posted a .348 hitting percentage in the set and registered five aces as it took the set, 25-10
•    The Bulldogs also forced South into a -.040 hitting percentage in the set

Set 3 – Georgia 25, South Alabama 23
•    KEY MOMENT: Tied 23-23, South Alabama looked as if it were going to hold set point, but Mouneke made an outstanding dig beyond the back line and to keep the rally alive, and Kaiya Tyson later posted a solo block to take the point for the Bulldogs for match point
•    The third set was the most competitive of the match as there were 12 ties and seven lead changes
•    Alexa Strandberg slammed home a kill to give South a 23-22 lead late, but Mouneke and Emma Bryson teamed up on the next point for a block to tie the set up (23-23)
•    Georgia then took the next to points after a solo block and a Jaguar attack error, and clinch the match with the 25-23 set win
•    South Alabama had its best offensive showing of the match in the final frame, recording 15 kills and a .370 attack percentage
•    Gaier and Strandberg each had four kills for the Jaguars in the set
•    Mouneke led UGA with six kills, two block assists and a pair of aces in the frame, while Artiles had five for the Bulldogs

Post-Match Notes
•    The meeting marked the ninth in the all-time series and first since the 2016 season
•    Georgia has now won seven straight in the series
•    Addison Hurst surpassed the 550 career digs mark in the match

Up Next
•    South Alabama will close out play at the South Alabama Invitational when it faces Tulane on Sunday at 4 p.m.

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