Volleyball players often sacrifice their bodies to save the ball on spikes, but one player took that to ridiculous extremes on a play that spawned a viral video.
Houston Cougars junior Kate Georgiades pulled off an incredible save in a match Friday night against the South Dakota Coyotes.
South Dakota spiked the ball, and Houston setter Morgan Janda got a hand out to block the spike but the ball careened out of bounds, well behind the playing court.
Enter Georgiades. Running full speed, she ran some 20-25 feet behind the court and somehow saved the ball back into play, before diving headfirst over a table.
It really must be seen to be believed — and plenty of people are seeing the video as it goes viral off the original ESPN+ video.
WHAT A RALLY 😱 @UHCougarVB pic.twitter.com/OhwuGCpWCz
— ESPN (@espn) December 3, 2022
Not done yet, Georgiades returned to the court and made another one-handed dig to keep the point going for Houston. The Cougars eventually won the point, and Georgiades’ teammates mobbed her in celebration of her incredible efforts.
No wonder Georgiades plays the libero position, which is usually played by a team’s top defensive player.
The viral video logged a quarter-million views in just more than an hour after ESPN posted it, with hundreds of retweets.
Sports fans who caught the play on Twitter shared their amazement.
“That girl has to be from Buffalo,” tweeted one user, referencing hard-core Bills fans who destroy tables while tailgating.
https://twitter.com/cniver/status/1598863538511937537
Hell of an effort right there by the girl who dove into the table. Good stuff
— Jimmy Stix (@CGratchen) December 3, 2022
She WWE'd that table and still came back for more.
— FattyMagic (@FattyMagic1) December 3, 2022
Omg the poor libero on the right side, all those digs and still couldn't save it 😄
— oh-ooze (@OguzLuvsCookies) December 3, 2022
I WANT TO SEE WHAT CAN BEAT THAT IN TOP 10 PLAYS OF THE DAY!!! #espntop10 #topten #SportsCenter #sportscentertop10
— CatNinja (@KatManDooo) December 3, 2022
[Photo Credit: ESPN]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.