KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A strong offensive performance led Tennessee volleyball to a 3-0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-22) sweep of South Carolina on Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The win gives UT the series sweep over the Gamecocks after winning the first match on Saturday. It is the fourth consecutive win over South Carolina for the Lady Vols and the second time they have swept SC in the last four meetings.
Tennessee (10-8, 4-2 SEC) hit .385 as a team with 42 kills and seven aces. On the defensive side, UT managed a solid blocking performance with seven total.
Senior Morgahn Fingall led all players with 18 kills and hit .571 in the victory. The right-side attacker added one ace, three digs and a pair of blocks to her final stat line. The Fairfax, Virginia, native is now up to 959 career kills, just 41 away from becoming the 23rd player in program history to reach the 1,000-kill milestone.
Making a second consecutive start on Sunday, junior Jasmine Brooks contributed eight kills while hitting .421. She picked up two digs and two blocks as the outside hitter scored nine points for UT.
After a kill from Brooks to open the match, Natalie Hayward moved back to the service line and helped UT score six in a row to open up a 7-0 lead on the Gamecocks. Hayward contributed two points in the run thanks to a pair of service aces.
South Carolina (9-8, 3-4 SEC) trimmed the lead to two points midway through the set before a 5-1 run pushed Tennessee’s lead out to 19-13. Erykah Lovett then ended the frame by scoring three of UT’s final four points off service aces.
The Lady Vols and Gamecocks went kill-for-kill in the second as both teams put away 17. UT continued to attack well as it hit .469 in the frame while SC hit .211. South Carolina was able to keep the set tight with three service aces, but nine attack errors held it back as Tennessee won the second, 26-24.
South Carolina controlled much of the third set as it opened up an 18-13 lead on the Lady Vols. UT’s offense then came alive as it scored 12 of the final 16 points – including the final six – to flip the set and win, 25-22, clinching the match victory.
Late errors played a crucial role in Tennessee’s comeback as South Carolina committed seven during UT’s final charge. Lovett and Fingall combined for four kills towards the end of the set, while an ace from Ashllyn King helped propel the rally.
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The win gives UT the series sweep over the Gamecocks after winning the first match on Saturday. It is the fourth consecutive win over South Carolina for the Lady Vols and the second time they have swept SC in the last four meetings.
Tennessee (10-8, 4-2 SEC) hit .385 as a team with 42 kills and seven aces. On the defensive side, UT managed a solid blocking performance with seven total.
Senior Morgahn Fingall led all players with 18 kills and hit .571 in the victory. The right-side attacker added one ace, three digs and a pair of blocks to her final stat line. The Fairfax, Virginia, native is now up to 959 career kills, just 41 away from becoming the 23rd player in program history to reach the 1,000-kill milestone.
Making a second consecutive start on Sunday, junior Jasmine Brooks contributed eight kills while hitting .421. She picked up two digs and two blocks as the outside hitter scored nine points for UT.
After a kill from Brooks to open the match, Natalie Hayward moved back to the service line and helped UT score six in a row to open up a 7-0 lead on the Gamecocks. Hayward contributed two points in the run thanks to a pair of service aces.
South Carolina (9-8, 3-4 SEC) trimmed the lead to two points midway through the set before a 5-1 run pushed Tennessee’s lead out to 19-13. Erykah Lovett then ended the frame by scoring three of UT’s final four points off service aces.
The Lady Vols and Gamecocks went kill-for-kill in the second as both teams put away 17. UT continued to attack well as it hit .469 in the frame while SC hit .211. South Carolina was able to keep the set tight with three service aces, but nine attack errors held it back as Tennessee won the second, 26-24.
South Carolina controlled much of the third set as it opened up an 18-13 lead on the Lady Vols. UT’s offense then came alive as it scored 12 of the final 16 points – including the final six – to flip the set and win, 25-22, clinching the match victory.
Late errors played a crucial role in Tennessee’s comeback as South Carolina committed seven during UT’s final charge. Lovett and Fingall combined for four kills towards the end of the set, while an ace from Ashllyn King helped propel the rally.
UP NEXT
Tennessee travels west to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for two…
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