Beyond the Hedges 11/8/2012

In a No. 1 versus No. 2 match-up, the top ranked UGA equestrian team hosted South Carolina and lost to the visitors 11-8. The Gamecocks took a 4-1 lead after Equitation Over fences and extended it to 7-3 after out-Reining the Dawgs 3-2. Georgia outscored Carolina 3-2 in Equitation on the Flat to pull within three, but the visitors clinched the win with two points in Horsemanship. Georgia travels to Auburn tomorrow to take on the No. 3 Plainswomenfolk.

Stegeman Coliseum (formerly known as the Georgia Coliseum) is celebrating its 50th season, and the Athletic Association invites you to vote on your favorite Coliseum moments. Omitted from the choices is my own most memorable moment that I don't quite remember: Bob Dylan's 1990 concert. It's a good list, though, and I encourage you to check it out.

Last Friday, the men's basketball team defeated Young Harris 86-52 in an exhibition game. Freshman guard Kenny Gaines led the team in scoring with 16 points. It was a good chance for the team to get its feet wet against an overmatched opponent. The Dawgs open the season proper tomorrow night in Stegeman against Jacksonville. Tickets for the 7:00 p.m. game are available for $5.00 with an online purchase discount code. The No. 10 women's basketball team also has a discount for its season opener against Rutgers on Sunday afternoon at 2. Head on over to catch one or both if you can. If you can't make tomorrow night's game, check back here at Dawg Sports for our first basketball game thread of the season. We'll be following via radio and/or Gametracker, because the Jacksonville game will not be televised.

The volleyball team had a rough weekend, losing to a pair of conference rivals. Friday, Georgia was in Gainesville to take on the Gators, who were undefeated in conference play. The Dawgs were unable to hand Florida their first loss but were swept 3-0 (15-25, 23-25, 14-25). Then on Sunday, UGA travelled to Auburn and lost 3-1 (23-25, 25-15, 15-25, 16-25). The Dawgs are now 13-11 (7-7 SEC). Tomorrow and Sunday, Georgia hosts LSU and Texas A&M, respectively.

The reputation of Georgia's women's swimming and diving program continues to shine. Former Bulldogs Wendy Trott has been tapped as a recipient of the Today's Top Ten Award. Trott's long list of accomplishments as a Georgia swimmer include three NCAA and four SEC championships in the 1,650-yard freestyle and another SEC championship in the 500 freestyle. A native of Cape Town, she represented South Africa in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. The Top Ten Award is a significant achievement. It honors athletes in the year after they complete their collegiate eligibility and is based on athletic, academic, and community achievements. Other Bulldogs who've won the award in the past include swimmer Lisa Coole (1984); football players Jon Stinchcomb (2003), Matt Stinchcomb (1999) and Terry Hoage (1984); and gymnasts Courtney Kupets (2010) and Marcia Newby (2011).

The men's tennis team wraps up its fall tournaments this weekend with a trio of Dawgs in New York and the rest of the team home in Athens. No. 10 senior KU Singh, No. 36 junior Hernus Pieters, and freshman Ben Wagland are participating in the National Indoor tournament at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in New York, which runs today through Sunday. Singh is in the singles draw while Pieters and Wagland, No. 35 as a team, will play doubles. Meanwhile, at the Dan Magill Tennis Center, the rest of the team is hosting the Bulldog Scramble, a round-robin tournament tomorrow through Sunday with players from Bama, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and East Tennessee State. Play begins at 9:30 a.m. each day.

Last weekend was a good one for the women's tennis team. Juniors Kate Fuller and Maho Kowase, sophomore Lauren Herring, and freshman Makenzie Craft were in Portland, Oregon, for the USTA Collegiate Invitational. The event featured top collegiate and junior players. Following successful opening rounds, the 30th ranked Herring/Fuller team and Kowase/Craft both advanced to the semi-finals before falling. In singles, Herring lost in the semis to USTA junior Brooke Austin, who then went on to defeat Fuller in the finals. Coming up, Fuller, Herring, and Kowase will be in New York this weekend for the National Indoors. No. 53 Herring and No. 37 Kowase are playing singles while Herring/Fuller will be in the doubles field. The tournament is concurrent with the men's event, today through Sunday. Craft and junior Lilly Kimbell will be in California for the Jack Kramer Collegiate Invitational along with players from eight other schools.

And that brings us a little more up to speed. Be sure to review hailtogeorgia's excellent video breakdown of Jarvis Jones in stealthy action, Spears's picks for the weekend's conference games and national games of interest (on which picks we encourage you not to bet), and chuckdawg's takes on UGA's upcoming game against the War Eagles (in case you were too engaged in cocktails and/or spirited debate with Karl Rove and/or Diane Sawyer on Tuesday night).

GO DAWGS! AUBURNA DELENDA EST!