Georgia volleyball falls to Tennessee in first “10K Day” loss

Georgia volleyball hosted the third-annual “10K Day” Friday, a day that looks to break records by welcoming 10,000 fans into Stegeman Coliseum to cheer on the Bulldogs.

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With a vicious sea of red and black surrounding them, it looked as though Georgia volleyball could secure its first home win over Tennessee since 2019, when the Bulldogs won 3-1 over the Volunteers.

That is, until they began to play.

After a rocky first set in which they handed points to the Bulldogs through 15 errors, No. 11 Tennessee climbed back on Rocky Top, sweeping Georgia 3-0, with set scores 25-22, 25-14 and 25-13. The Bulldogs are now 15-9 overall and 7-7 in SEC play.

This marks Georgia’s first “10K Day” loss since the annual event began in 2024. A season-high attendance of 6,873 fans showed up, but the number was a drop from last year’s “10K Day” in which the Bulldogs defeated Alabama 3-2 in front of 8,719 spectators.

Still, the significance of the day went beyond the numbers.

Stegeman Coliseum hosted the full Georgia Redcoat Marching band for the first time in the 2026 season, and members of student fan organizations such as the Spike Squad and the UGA Paint Line lined the stands early. For senior Sam Mercer, a member of the UGA Paint Line, supporting the Bulldogs is an honor and a source of excitement.

“Everything about the Dawgs is better,” Mercer said. “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, while admittedly not knowing much about volleyball, focuses on supporting the team through the Redcoats’ contribution to Stegeman’s atmosphere.

“[The Redcoats] just try to keep the energy up as much as possible,” Mahadkar said. “[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.”

10K Day also saw the return of Georgia volleyball alum Bailey Cox, who graduated in May of 2025 and played in the first 10K Day on Oct. 11, 2024, when Georgia defeated South Carolina 3-2. Cox now serves as an analyst for the Bulldogs.

“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 said. “The work that these ladies put into their job in college is something impeccable.”

As an analyst, Cox said that she cannot speak for her old team. But after the final buzzer, her advice for the athletes still rang true.

“[The key is to] stay composed in high emotional situations,” Cox said. “You got a crowd around you coming in on you. You either make it or you break it.”

In the end, Tennessee stayed composed, and the Bulldogs broke it.

Georgia plays its final regular-season game against No. 6 Kentucky in Stegeman Coliseum Sunday at 2 p.m.