By Stephen Mason
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Call it a gauntlet or call it a marathon, no matter what words you use, the next two months of the Lady Vols’ schedule will show how good this team is.
The No. 22 Tennessee Volunteers kicked off their grueling SEC schedule with a clean sweep, defeating Georgia 3-0 in their conference opener at the Food City Center.
The Lady Vols won 25-19, 26-24, 25-20, leaning on key plays from veterans like senior libero Gulce Guctekin and junior setter Caroline Kerr.
“Between me and [Guctekin], we have a lot of experience together, and to have us in the back court, I think we can help guide this team where it needs to be,” Kerr said. “I think we do a good job contrasting each other, and it’s so great to play with her.”
Guctekin, a transfer from the University of Wisconsin, brings experience from playing in the Big Ten, while Kerr is in her third year in Knoxville.
Tennessee also saw flashes from younger players like sophomore Paityn Chapman, who had 3 kills during a 5 – 0 run for Tennessee, helping the team come back and win the second set.
Tennessee’s schedule includes matches against all 15 other SEC teams. Six of those teams, including Tennessee, are currently ranked in the top 25 of the latest AVCA poll. The Volunteers will face No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Kentucky on the road. However, ranked or unranked, Tennessee can not afford to overlook any of its opponents.
“The SEC is no joke, and we know every team will be good day in and day out,” Kerr said. “We’re going to have to bring a tough mentality, knowing that no matter what the score is, we’re in it.”
Head Coach Eve Rackham Watt knows a schedule this daunting will have its share of ups and downs, so she has built a structure to help her team remain consistent.
“We have a rule that we get to enjoy wins or get over losses by midnight,” Rackham Watt said. “So we’ll get to enjoy this one for a couple of hours, and then turn our attention to South Carolina.”
The Volunteers will host South Carolina on Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Gamecocks received votes in the last AVCA poll and will be hungry coming off a 0-3 loss at No. 3 Kentucky.
The Volunteers know their win against Georgia is just the start of a challenging season that concludes in November. They will need to rely on their experienced players and maintain a level-headed approach to navigate the ups and downs of conference play.