By Stephen Mason
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Blocks were made, kills were scored, and personal milestones were reached as the No. 24 Tennessee Lady Vols volleyball team swept Rider (25 – 13, 25 -18, 24 – 11) Thursday night, proving how well the team has meshed during non-conference play.
The Lady Vols’ defense dominated, putting up 10 blocks, and the offense remained consistently effective even with 11 different players who checked into the match. Despite the strong defensive performance, Coach Eve Rackham Watt said she believes the team has not reached its full defensive potential.
“It’s a lot about cohesion and communication,” Rackham Watt said. “When we switch up as much as we switch up, it is sometimes different players playing next to each other…I like the direction we are going, but I think the potential for this team to be better floor defenders is there.”
One of the team’s newest additions, senior defensive specialist and libero Gulce Guctekin, transferred from Wisconsin this year and has noticed how the team has come together. She highlighted the special relationships that have been built between the players and the coaching staff.
“We’ve done so many team bonding activities,” Guctekin said. “Between us players and the coaches, we hang out a lot both on and off the court, and we feel very comfortable around each other.”
The team bonding included a weekend retreat to a cabin in Gatlinburg over the summer, where the freshmen, transfers, and veterans spent time together to build connections that will help the team on the court.
During the match, Guctekin reached a major milestone with her 1,000th career dig. Senior outside hitter Hayden Kubik led the team with 10 kills, and freshman setter Izzy Mogridge led with 12 assists. Two-time All-American junior setter Caroline Kerr added 10 assists and three blocks.
This production for freshmen, veterans, and transfers has given Tennessee the advantage of having a very deep team. With non-conference play drawing to a close, Rackham Watt said she is pleased with how the team has come together.
“We’re nearing the end of non-conference play, and I think we’ve gotten better every single week,” Rackham Watt said. “We’ve played a number of different lineups, we’ve played a number of different players, we’ve utilized our depth, and we’ve learned about ourselves, which is always the goal of non-conference play.”
Non-conference play will wrap up tomorrow as Tennessee hosts Kennesaw State. SEC play starts next week when the Lady Vols welcome Georgia to the Food City Center on Wednesday, Sept. 24.