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Tennessee (7-1) had the hot hand from the start and never gave up, hitting a dazzling .438 while holding the Golden Eagles (2-5) to a .247 hitting percentage. The Lady Vols dominated on both sides of the net, finishing with 57 kills and nine and a half blocks as a team. Marquette finished with just 34 kills on the day, while Big Orange’s back row recorded 33 kills.
The last time Tennessee swept a ranked opponent was in 2021, when the Lady Vols defeated 16th-ranked Missouri on Feb. 13. The following fall, Big Orange upset No. 9 Baylor at home in five sets on September 3, marking the last qualifying victory before today.
Leading the way for UT was the duo of graduate students from Morgahn Fingall and Jenaisya Moore. Fingall, a right-side hitter, tallied a game-high 18 kills while hitting .471, along with six blocks and a season-best three kills. Moore, an outside hitter, recorded 15 kills on .481 hitting, four digs, two assists and two aces.
Setter Carolina Kerr, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, finished with 48 assists, marking the most in her career during a 3-set match. She also added three kills and a dig in the outing. Junior outside hitter Erykah Lovett had a well-rounded performance, recording 12 kills, eight kills, three blocks and a game-high two assists. libero graduate student Yelianiz Torres He tallied 11 kills and three assists on the day.
Holding down the front row, sophomore middle blocker Keondreya Granberry recorded seven kills and six blocks, while redshirt sophomore middle blocker Emily Beeker She finished with six kills and two blocks.
In the first frame, the Lady Vols’ offensive attack came out strong, hitting .528 compared to Marquette’s .355. Three different players recorded at least four kills in the set, with Fingall leading the way with nine kills in 10 attacks. Tennessee never trailed in the period after starting the game on an 8-2 run.
The second set was back and forth with 11 ties and two lead changes, but it was a late push from the Big Orange that ended up making the difference. Tied 19-19, the Lady Vols scored three straight points to take the lead. In the frame, Tennessee was led by Moore’s six kills and Fingall’s four kills and four blocks. Tennessee blocked five shots in the period after having just one block in the first quarter.
Marquette wouldn’t go away quietly, but the Lady Vol attack was too much for the Golden Eagle defense in the third set. Tennessee outscored Marquette .433 to .095 and recorded three and a half blocks in the final set to complete its fifth sweep of the season. Fingall and Moore had five shots on frame to lead the Big Orange offense.
Next up, Tennessee returns to Rocky Top for a three-game homestand, beginning with games against Chicago State and Evansville on Thursday and Friday, respectively, of this week. Tennessee volleyball will partner with Second Harvest Food Bank to help feed those in need. Fans who bring two non-perishable food items to the game will receive a complimentary ticket. Simply bring your food to TBA and you will receive your ticket at the Tennessee Fan Experience tent. Both games will begin at 6:30 pm ET and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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