After a tough five-set loss against LSU on Wednesday night, Alabama volleyball is back on the road. This weekend, the Crimson Tide (7-13, 1-7 SEC) is traveling to Athens, Georgia, to hopefully add to its singular conference win with a victory against the Georgia Bulldogs.  

Following the loss against LSU, head coach Rashinda Reed said that her team has some work to do before they head to Athens.  

“We need to take care of the ball on our side,” Reed said. “Managing the little things. There were too many unforced errors.” 

After sweeping the No. 11 Florida Gators in Gainesville on Wednesday, the Bulldogs (13-5, 4-3) rode a momentum high all the way home to Athens. They held the Gators to a .090 hitting percentage throughout the match despite a .259 season average. 

Sitting at .170 this season, Alabama doesn’t have a lot of room for error. 

The Crimson Tide still leads the SEC in aces. Georgia’s a close second. However, the Bulldogs are also No. 2 in least number of aces allowed. 

Outside the service game, SEC Offensive Player of the Week Alyiah Wells will go head-to-head with Georgia middle blocker Sophie Fischer. Fischer leads the conference in blocks with an average of 1.42 per set. Opposite hitter Kacie Evans and Fischer lead the Bulldogs in kills and make up a crucial part of their offense. 

Reed said that Wells was named player of the week not only for her incredible offensive performance, but also for the energy that she brings to the team. 

Reed said that energy was missing in the Crimson Tide’s last match.  

“I felt like we took our foot off the gas,” Reed said. “There were times where there were lulls in our emotions and it looked like we just gave up on the play.” 

Reed said she hopes for a revamp of the energy this weekend against the Bulldogs.  

Alabama lost both of its two games against Georgia last year in Tuscaloosa and haven’t beaten the Bulldogs since 2020. 

This weekend the two teams play at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 22, on SEC Network+ and at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23, on the SEC Network.

Questions or comments? Email Austin Hannon (Sports Editor) at [email protected]