No. 11 Tennessee handed the Georgia volleyball team its first-ever “10K Day” defeat on Friday, sweeping the Bulldogs 3-0 in front of a season-high crowd of 6,873 fans at Stegeman Coliseum.
The match dropped Georgia to 15-9 overall and 7-7 in Southeastern Conference play. Set scores finished 25-22, 25-14, and 25-13, as reported by The Red & Black.
The annual event launched in 2024 to draw 10,000 spectators to the venue. Friday’s attendance fell short of last year’s milestone, when 8,719 fans watched the Bulldogs defeat Alabama 3-2.
Campus Groups Support the Dawgs at Stegeman Coliseum
Despite the score, the event featured expanded campus participation. The Georgia Redcoat Marching band performed inside Stegeman Coliseum for the first time during the 2026 season, accompanied by student groups like the Spike Squad and the UGA Paint Line.
“Everything about the Dawgs is better,” said Sam Mercer, a member of the UGA Paint Line, in an interview with The Red & Black. “From our energy, to our athletes, to our mascot. Just to be here supporting the team means a lot.”
Yash Mahadkar, a Redcoats drum major, noted the mutual appreciation between the musicians and the volleyball roster. “[The Redcoats] just try to keep the energy up as much as possible,” Mahadkar told The Red & Black. “[The volleyball team] came out to our practice yesterday and just said how grateful they are for our support. It means a lot to have them acknowledge us, and it makes it more exciting to be here on 10K Day.”
Errors Undermine Early Momentum
Early in the evening, a vocal crowd created conditions reminiscent of Georgia’s last home win over Tennessee in 2019. However, 15 first-set errors by the Bulldogs allowed the Volunteers to stabilize.
Tennessee capitalized on those miscues to take control of the match. Bailey Cox, a Georgia volleyball alumna who graduated in May 2025 and returned for the game as an analyst, pointed to composure as the deciding factor.
“I don’t even have words to tell you what it means, to be honest, to be here on 10K Day and to see it grow for not only Georgia volleyball but for volleyball in general,” Cox told The Red & Black. “The work that these ladies put into their job in college is something impeccable.”
“[The key is to] stay composed in high emotional situations,” Cox said of the team’s late-game struggles. “You got a crowd around you coming in on you. You either make it or you break it.”
Bulldogs Face No. 6 Kentucky on Sunday
The Bulldogs conclude their regular-season schedule at home against No. 6 Kentucky in Stegeman Coliseum on Sunday at 2 p.m.
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