KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee volleyball came up short in a tough battle against No. 15 Kentucky, dropping the contest 3-1 (25-21, 14-25, 25-22, 25-21) on Wednesday night at Food City Center.
The Lady Vols (9-7, 2-4 SEC) had three players reach double-digit kills in the contest, with junior outside hitter Hayden Kubik leading the way with 14 kills. She posted her fourth double-double of the season, tallying 15 digs, two assists and one block to lead the team.
Freshman right side Paityn Chapman added 12 kills on .333 hitting, four digs and two blocks. Graduate transfer outside Nina Cajic finished with 11 kills, six digs and a match-best four aces. Freshman middle blocker Chelsea Sutton enjoyed another solid effort, tallying seven kills and a match-high four blocks. Redshirt sophomore Caroline Kerr posted her fourth double-double of the season as well, netting 42 assists, 13 digs, four kills, one ace and one block in the all-around performance.
As a team, Tennessee finished the night with 54 kills on .289 hitting, 47 assists and seven aces on offense and 58 digs and five blocks defensively. The Wildcats (10-7, 4-2 SEC) had 63 kills on .340 hitting, 59 assists, 58 digs, five blocks and three aces.
The opening frame was a tight one with both teams going back and forth, but it ended in favor of the Wildcats. The Big Orange was outhit in the period .381 to .186. Chapman and Cajic fueled the offense with five kills and four kills, respectively.
The Lady Vols dominated the second stanza, using 15 kills on .444 hitting to cruise on the offensive end. Defensively, Tennessee held UK to just six kills on .037 hitting thanks to 16 digs and two blocks. The final two frames saw a combined 20 ties and eight lead changes, as Kentucky narrowly edged out the Big Orange behind efficient hitting and stingy defensive play.
Up next, the Lady Vols host 25th-ranked Auburn Tigers on Sunday afternoon. With the match being on 10/20, fans can purchase tickets for the game at half price and hotdogs will be $2 until first serve at 2 p.m. Stick around after the match for player autographs by the court as part of our Signature Sunday special.
The Lady Vols (9-7, 2-4 SEC) had three players reach double-digit kills in the contest, with junior outside hitter Hayden Kubik leading the way with 14 kills. She posted her fourth double-double of the season, tallying 15 digs, two assists and one block to lead the team.
Freshman right side Paityn Chapman added 12 kills on .333 hitting, four digs and two blocks. Graduate transfer outside Nina Cajic finished with 11 kills, six digs and a match-best four aces. Freshman middle blocker Chelsea Sutton enjoyed another solid effort, tallying seven kills and a match-high four blocks. Redshirt sophomore Caroline Kerr posted her fourth double-double of the season as well, netting 42 assists, 13 digs, four kills, one ace and one block in the all-around performance.
As a team, Tennessee finished the night with 54 kills on .289 hitting, 47 assists and seven aces on offense and 58 digs and five blocks defensively. The Wildcats (10-7, 4-2 SEC) had 63 kills on .340 hitting, 59 assists, 58 digs, five blocks and three aces.
The opening frame was a tight one with both teams going back and forth, but it ended in favor of the Wildcats. The Big Orange was outhit in the period .381 to .186. Chapman and Cajic fueled the offense with five kills and four kills, respectively.
The Lady Vols dominated the second stanza, using 15 kills on .444 hitting to cruise on the offensive end. Defensively, Tennessee held UK to just six kills on .037 hitting thanks to 16 digs and two blocks. The final two frames saw a combined 20 ties and eight lead changes, as Kentucky narrowly edged out the Big Orange behind efficient hitting and stingy defensive play.
Up next, the Lady Vols host 25th-ranked Auburn Tigers on Sunday afternoon. With the match being on 10/20, fans can purchase tickets for the game at half price and hotdogs will be $2 until first serve at 2 p.m. Stick around after the match for player autographs by the court as part of our Signature Sunday special.
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