The Georgia volleyball team earned its first conference win of the 2009 season over the weekend during a two-game road trip.

In a match Sunday afternoon, the Bulldogs defeated Mississippi State 3-1 after losing the opening set 25-22.

From there Georgia (9-3, 1-1 SEC) went on to win three consecutive sets – 25-21, 25-21 and 25-15 – to put State away and get into the win column for the first time in SEC play this season.

Junior middle hitter Valentina Gonzalez posted a career-high 18 kills and led Georgia with seven blocks while junior outside hitter Erika Clark and redshirt freshman outside hitter Briana Bahr each had 10 kills apiece.

Before their match against Mississippi State (4-9, 0-2) on Sunday, the Bulldogs lost to Alabama (4-8, 2-0 SEC) in Tuscaloosa, Ala., to start off conference play on the wrong foot.

After pushing the opening set into overtime, Georgia was edged out by the Crimson Tide 29-27 before proceeding to be swept in the next two sets by scores of 25-14 and 25-15, respectively.

The efforts of Clark and fellow junior outside hitter Simone May – who posted a combined 17 kills – were lost as Georgia was unable to halt the offensive attack of Ashley Frazier and Alyssa Meuth of Alabama.

Frazier and Meuth’s combined 28 kills were too much for the Bulldogs to handle as Georgia had to wait a little longer before getting that first SEC win.

The Bulldogs will play their final out-of-conference match of the season on Wednesday as they take on Western Carolina at the Ramsey Student Center at 7 p.m. Georgia continues SEC play Sunday when the Bulldogs host LSU.