PREVIEW: Swim & Dive to Take on Georgia in an SEC Road Dual Meet

Saturday, January 20

Athens, Ga.

11:00 AM

University of Tennessee

Georgia

PREVIEW: Swim & Dive to Take on Georgia in an SEC Road Dual Meet

January 19, 2024 | Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving

Meet Notes

ATHENS, Ga. – Tennessee swimming & diving is set to compete against Georgia on Saturday at Gabrielsen Natatorium.

The dual meet will begin at 11 a.m. ET, and fans will be able to watch both swimming and diving events on SEC Network+. Live results from the competition will also be available on MeetMobile.

UT opened its 2024 slate with competition at the Tennessee Diving Invite. During the meet, Bryden Hattie earned two victories and was named SEC Diver of the Week thanks to his performance. In addition to Hattie's wins, nine Tennessee divers earned finals appearances throughout the three-day competition.

Tennessee also had multiple athletes compete at the TYR Pro Meet in Knoxville this past week. Eighteen current swimmers collected A finalist finishes, while 25 more added B finalist times. Martin Espernberger took first in the 200 fly with a mark of 1:56.58, while Jordan Crooks, Mona McSharry, Alyssa Breslin and Josephine Fuller added podium finishes in respective events.

Last season, Tennessee swept the Bulldogs during the dual meet on January 21 in Knoxville. The men defeated Georgia, 183-117, and the Lady Vols claimed a victory, 180-120.

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Order of Events
200 Medley Relay
1,000 Free
200 Free
100 Back
100 Breast
200 Fly
50 Free
Women's 1-meter
Men's 3-meter
100 Free
200 Back
200 Breast
500 Free
100 Fly
Women's 3-meter
Men's 1-meter
200 IM
400 Free Relay

Scouting the Bulldogs
Georgia enters Saturday's dual with both teams ranked inside the top-15. The seventh-ranked men's squad boasts two victories in six meets and placed third during the Georgia Invite. Georgia's women's team is currently 12th in CSCAA's polls and holds an 8-1 record. The lone loss came to No. 7 Florida, and the squad placed fourth at the Georgia Invite.

Women's NCAA Preview
The dual meet against Georgia will give the Lady Vols a chance to get acclimated to the 2024 NCAA women's championships location. This year's championships will be held on March 20-23, and Tennessee is looking to build off of last season. The Lady Vols earned an eighth-place finish at NCAAs in 2023, which were held in Knoxville.

Elite Dual Schedule
So far in the dual schedule, both Tennessee teams have yet to compete against an unranked team. The men faced off against No. 12 Louisville, No. 13 Texas A&M, No. 25 Kentucky and No. 3 Florida. The Lady Vols had competition against No. 3 Louisville, No. 25 Texas A&M, No. 19 Kentucky and No. 7 Florida.

In addition, UT also hosted a cohort of talented teams at the Tennessee Invite. Of the teams competing in both swimming and diving, the men's side included No. 12 Virginia and No. 22 Alabama. The women's side included top-ranked Virginia along with No. 22 Arkansas and No. 24 Alabama.

Approaching SECs
Tennessee will conclude its dual meet schedule next weekend against LSU and begin to turn focus towards the SEC Championships in Auburn, Alabama, on Feb. 20-24. UT's roster has won 78 SEC medals combined, which is the most of any current roster in the SEC. The Vols are the first team to return the reigning SEC Swimmer of the Year (Jordan Crooks) and Diver of the Year (Bryden Hattie). Tennessee also has the reigning SEC freshman diver of the year, with Nick Stone returning for his sophomore season.