KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the first time in 18 years, the Tennessee Lady Vols are heading to the Sweet Sixteen after sweeping No. 6 seed Western Kentucky (25-20, 25-16, 26-24) Saturday night at Food City Center.
The No. 3 seed Lady Vols (26-4) earned their third Sweet Sixteen appearance since the expansion to 64 tournament teams in 1998, joining the 2004 and 2005 squads. UT snapped an impressive 25-match win streak for the Hilltoppers, who finished their season 30-5.
In the regional semifinal round, Tennessee will battle the other UT, taking on the reigning NCAA champs and No. 2 seed Texas on Thursday. The Longhorns are the Big 12 champions and boast a 24-4 record. They enter the matchup following wins against Texas A&M and SMU in the first and second rounds, respectively.
For the 19th time this season, the Big Orange swept its opponent, marking the second-most sweeps in a single season in program history and the most since having 20 in 1983, when they played 41 matches. The match didn’t come easy, though, as Western Kentucky battled in a contest that featured 11 lead changes and 26 ties.
The Lady Vols held the advantage in each statistical category, as the offense finished with 41 kills on .302 hitting, 40 assists and seven aces—the second-most in an NCAA Tournament match during the 25-point rally scoring era. Defensively, UT held the Hilltoppers to .221 hitting thanks to nine blocks and 37 digs.
Graduate student outside hitter Jenaisya Moore led the charge behind a match-best 19 kills on .419 hitting, six digs and a block. Her outstanding performance was highlighted by 10 kills in the final frame to lift the Lady Vols to the sweep. Graduate student right side Morgahn Fingall enjoyed an all-around effort, notching 11 kills, six digs and six blocks on the night.
Redshirt freshman setter Caroline Kerr guided the Big Orange offense with 37 assists. Helping out both offensively and defensively, sophomore middle blocker Keondreya Granberry tallied six kills and six blocks. Graduate student middle blocker Raeven Chase added three kills and three blocks of her own.
On the back row, junior outside hitter Erykah Lovett had a team-high eight digs to go along with two aces and two blocks. Graduate student libero Yelianiz Torres had seven digs and an ace on the night, while sophomore defensive specialist Abby Ekeler had a season-best six digs and an ace. Rounding things out for UT, junior defensive specialist Ashllyn…
The No. 3 seed Lady Vols (26-4) earned their third Sweet Sixteen appearance since the expansion to 64 tournament teams in 1998, joining the 2004 and 2005 squads. UT snapped an impressive 25-match win streak for the Hilltoppers, who finished their season 30-5.
In the regional semifinal round, Tennessee will battle the other UT, taking on the reigning NCAA champs and No. 2 seed Texas on Thursday. The Longhorns are the Big 12 champions and boast a 24-4 record. They enter the matchup following wins against Texas A&M and SMU in the first and second rounds, respectively.
For the 19th time this season, the Big Orange swept its opponent, marking the second-most sweeps in a single season in program history and the most since having 20 in 1983, when they played 41 matches. The match didn’t come easy, though, as Western Kentucky battled in a contest that featured 11 lead changes and 26 ties.
The Lady Vols held the advantage in each statistical category, as the offense finished with 41 kills on .302 hitting, 40 assists and seven aces—the second-most in an NCAA Tournament match during the 25-point rally scoring era. Defensively, UT held the Hilltoppers to .221 hitting thanks to nine blocks and 37 digs.
Graduate student outside hitter Jenaisya Moore led the charge behind a match-best 19 kills on .419 hitting, six digs and a block. Her outstanding performance was highlighted by 10 kills in the final frame to lift the Lady Vols to the sweep. Graduate student right side Morgahn Fingall enjoyed an all-around effort, notching 11 kills, six digs and six blocks on the night.
Redshirt freshman setter Caroline Kerr guided the Big Orange offense with 37 assists. Helping out both offensively and defensively, sophomore middle blocker Keondreya Granberry tallied six kills and six blocks. Graduate student middle blocker Raeven Chase added three kills and three blocks of her own.
On the back row, junior outside hitter Erykah Lovett had a team-high eight digs to go along with two aces and two blocks. Graduate student libero Yelianiz Torres had seven digs and an ace on the night, while sophomore defensive specialist Abby Ekeler had a season-best six digs and an ace. Rounding things out for UT, junior defensive specialist Ashllyn…
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