KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tenth-ranked Tennessee battled hard but came up just short against the No. 23 Kentucky Wildcats 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 27-25) on Sunday afternoon at Food City Center.
The Lady Vols (16-2, 7-1 SEC) were led by graduate right side hitter Morgahn Fingall, who finished with match-high 16 kills on .343 hitting to go along with seven digs, two assists and two blocks. Junior outside hitter Erykah Lovett narrowly missed a double-double, notching 14 digs and eight kills.
Graduate student outside hitter Jenaisya Moore added nine kills and five digs, while sophomore middle blocker Keondreya Granberry chipped in eight kills on .467 hitting and two blocks. Redshirt freshman setter Caroline Kerr tallied 34 assists, seven digs, one kill and one block on the day. Graduate student libero Yelianiz Torres finished with seven digs and five assists to round things out.
Kentucky (8-7, 6-1 SEC) bested the Big Orange in kills (52-45), hitting percentage (.356 to .274), assists (47-42), aces (4-2), digs (50-47) and blocks (8-4).
The Wildcats had the hot hand in the first set, hitting an impressive .514 and scored on 17 of their 20 sideout opportunities (85%). UT had a strong offensive showing as well with .343 hitting, but it wasn’t enough to outscore Kentucky. Fingall led the way for the Big Orange with five kills, while Lovett had six digs and three kills in the frame.
Tennessee responded well to begin the second set, opening the period with a 5-0 run to take the early momentum. UK answered with a 13-5 run of its own to erase the Lady Vols’ lead. Both teams went back and forth with runs of their own. With Kentucky holding set point at 24-19, the Big Orange won five straight points to pull even, but UK came out on top during the next two points take the 2-0 lead in the match.
Both teams swapped runs once again to begin the third set, as UT opened with a 7-2 run followed by a 6-0 run from the Wildcats. For the second frame in a row, Tennessee battled deep into a period that saw five lead changes and nine tied scores, but after being even at 25-25, Kentucky once again was victorious in the crucial moments of the match. Normally a strength of the team, the Big Orange finished just 44 percent on sideouts.
Up next, the Lady Vols host their third straight ranked opponent at Food City Center, taking on the No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday night for a 6:30 p.m. first serve. The match will be streamed on SEC Network+.
The Lady Vols (16-2, 7-1 SEC) were led by graduate right side hitter Morgahn Fingall, who finished with match-high 16 kills on .343 hitting to go along with seven digs, two assists and two blocks. Junior outside hitter Erykah Lovett narrowly missed a double-double, notching 14 digs and eight kills.
Graduate student outside hitter Jenaisya Moore added nine kills and five digs, while sophomore middle blocker Keondreya Granberry chipped in eight kills on .467 hitting and two blocks. Redshirt freshman setter Caroline Kerr tallied 34 assists, seven digs, one kill and one block on the day. Graduate student libero Yelianiz Torres finished with seven digs and five assists to round things out.
Kentucky (8-7, 6-1 SEC) bested the Big Orange in kills (52-45), hitting percentage (.356 to .274), assists (47-42), aces (4-2), digs (50-47) and blocks (8-4).
The Wildcats had the hot hand in the first set, hitting an impressive .514 and scored on 17 of their 20 sideout opportunities (85%). UT had a strong offensive showing as well with .343 hitting, but it wasn’t enough to outscore Kentucky. Fingall led the way for the Big Orange with five kills, while Lovett had six digs and three kills in the frame.
Tennessee responded well to begin the second set, opening the period with a 5-0 run to take the early momentum. UK answered with a 13-5 run of its own to erase the Lady Vols’ lead. Both teams went back and forth with runs of their own. With Kentucky holding set point at 24-19, the Big Orange won five straight points to pull even, but UK came out on top during the next two points take the 2-0 lead in the match.
Both teams swapped runs once again to begin the third set, as UT opened with a 7-2 run followed by a 6-0 run from the Wildcats. For the second frame in a row, Tennessee battled deep into a period that saw five lead changes and nine tied scores, but after being even at 25-25, Kentucky once again was victorious in the crucial moments of the match. Normally a strength of the team, the Big Orange finished just 44 percent on sideouts.
Up next, the Lady Vols host their third straight ranked opponent at Food City Center, taking on the No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday night for a 6:30 p.m. first serve. The match will be streamed on SEC Network+.
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