KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee volleyball team flexed its offensive muscle Friday night at Thompson-Boling Arena as it opened the Rocky Top Classic with a straight-set sweep (25-12, 25-14, 25-12) of New Hampshire.
UT (4-3) hit .367 in the match – marking the second consecutive outing it hit over .360 – en route to the victory. A pair of Lady Vols – Morgahn Fingall and Erykah Lovett – scored double-digit kills and led the charge in attack.
Fingall hit a season-high .560 in the match while putting away a team-leading 16 kills. The senior finished the night with eight digs and a block. Lovett tallied 13 kills on a .281 hitting night, poured in an ace and also picked up eight digs and a block.
The Lady Vols opened quick as they racked up 18 kills and hit .484 on their way to a 25-12 first-set win. Fingall and Lovett produced five kills apiece, with freshman Keondreya Granberry putting down three of her own. Senior Natalie Hayward and freshman Kadynce Boothe closed out the opening frame with two kills each.
New Hampshire (5-4) kept it close early in the set but a seven-point run for Tennessee opened up an 11-4 lead that was never in doubt the rest of the way.
Fingall and Lovett carried the fight to the Wildcats in the second as they combined for 11 of UT’s 17 kills in the set. Fingall hit .455 with six kills, while Lovett hit .167 and scored five kills. Granberry again notched three kills in the frame.
UT jumped out to an early 6-2 lead before a six-point run in the middle of the set made it 17-8. UNH won three of the final five points but ultimately fell 25-14.
The Lady Vols got the block working in the final set as they swatted back at the Wildcats’ attack. Redshirt freshman Klaudia Pawlik posted three blocks in the third, with Hayward earning two. Boothe, Fingall and Granberry all picked up one block.
Tennessee’s defensive effort held New Hampshire to a negative hitting percentage at -.121 and limited UNH to just four kills. The Orange & White hit .360 in the final frame as Fingall put down five kills and Lovett scored three.
For the night, UT fired home 48 kills, tallied a pair of service aces and posted 14 blocks. The Lady Vols’ floor defense was solid all night as Boothe, libero Paola Laborda and sophomore Ashllyn King all finished with 10 digs.
FROM HEAD COACH EVE RACKHAM WATT
On Tennessee’s offensive pressure against New Hampshire…
“We were able to sustain some runs just because we…
UT (4-3) hit .367 in the match – marking the second consecutive outing it hit over .360 – en route to the victory. A pair of Lady Vols – Morgahn Fingall and Erykah Lovett – scored double-digit kills and led the charge in attack.
Fingall hit a season-high .560 in the match while putting away a team-leading 16 kills. The senior finished the night with eight digs and a block. Lovett tallied 13 kills on a .281 hitting night, poured in an ace and also picked up eight digs and a block.
The Lady Vols opened quick as they racked up 18 kills and hit .484 on their way to a 25-12 first-set win. Fingall and Lovett produced five kills apiece, with freshman Keondreya Granberry putting down three of her own. Senior Natalie Hayward and freshman Kadynce Boothe closed out the opening frame with two kills each.
New Hampshire (5-4) kept it close early in the set but a seven-point run for Tennessee opened up an 11-4 lead that was never in doubt the rest of the way.
Fingall and Lovett carried the fight to the Wildcats in the second as they combined for 11 of UT’s 17 kills in the set. Fingall hit .455 with six kills, while Lovett hit .167 and scored five kills. Granberry again notched three kills in the frame.
UT jumped out to an early 6-2 lead before a six-point run in the middle of the set made it 17-8. UNH won three of the final five points but ultimately fell 25-14.
The Lady Vols got the block working in the final set as they swatted back at the Wildcats’ attack. Redshirt freshman Klaudia Pawlik posted three blocks in the third, with Hayward earning two. Boothe, Fingall and Granberry all picked up one block.
Tennessee’s defensive effort held New Hampshire to a negative hitting percentage at -.121 and limited UNH to just four kills. The Orange & White hit .360 in the final frame as Fingall put down five kills and Lovett scored three.
For the night, UT fired home 48 kills, tallied a pair of service aces and posted 14 blocks. The Lady Vols’ floor defense was solid all night as Boothe, libero Paola Laborda and sophomore Ashllyn King all finished with 10 digs.
FROM HEAD COACH EVE RACKHAM WATT
On Tennessee’s offensive pressure against New Hampshire…
“We were able to sustain some runs just because we…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at University of Tennessee Athletics…