The Red and Black

Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: ILANA McQUINN (Left to right) Maria Taylor, Erika Clark and Ann Dylla prepare for a serve from the Kentucky Wildcats at the Ramsey Center on Sept. 26. [Click to enlarge]

It's been three weeks since the Georgia volleyball team has experienced a victory, and it's a taste the Bulldogs want to have back in their mouths.

"Man, we need to get off this streak, it's about time," sophomore Lindsay Gehan said.

Georgia's last victory came Sept. 12 against Texas State, but since then, it has only won two sets combined in the last five matches. The past four games have all been in Southeastern Conference play, leading the Bulldogs to an 0-4 start. But the team said it is remaining positive.

"Right now, we're just all trying to have a positive attitude and sort of just have the mindset of a fresh start," freshman Carla Tietz said. "So we've been focusing on having hard practices and being a strong team, and having a good team atmosphere right now."

Georgia (7-8, 0-4 SEC) will get a chance for its first conference victory tonight at 7 p.m. when the Bulldogs face the Arkansas Razorbacks (4-9, 1-2 SEC) at the Ramsey Center. Georgia has not faired well against Arkansas, having compiled an overall record of 4-13, and losing the last five meetings. But Gehan thinks the Bulldogs have a good chance tonight.

"We should have a good chance to bring our game and hopefully be able to beat them," she said. "We need to start winning to get our confidence up. Hopefully this weekend is a good opportunity, so we hope we can capitalize on it."

As poorly as Georgia has performed against Arkansas all-time, just the opposite is the case for the Bulldogs Sunday opponent, the Ole Miss Rebels (6-6, 2-1 SEC). Georgia is 35-8 all-time against the Rebels, and the Bulldogs hold a 7-3 mark in the last 10 meetings.

During the five-game losing streak, coach Joel McCartney has said that the team needs leadership, starting at the very top with himself. According to Tietz, he has not lost confidence in the team.

"He's been really motivating lately. We're just going through some tough times right now, so he's been really good," Tietz said of McCartney.

But the real leadership on the court must come from your senior, and Gehan said that senior Maria Taylor is the one that can provide that.

"She's been really great in trying to lead us, on the court and off the court, so it's been really great looking up to her," she said. "It's great to have a senior captain that is, for one, really good performance-wise, and two, she knows what to say to us, so that's good."

The Bulldogs' first serve against Ole Miss is slated for 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Ramsey Center.

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