By Logan Starkey
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee swept Kennesaw State Friday night, proving they’re ready to go toe-to-toe with the SEC.
It wasn’t pretty. In fact, the win was ugly. A first set where they trailed nearly the whole time. A third set where they simply could not pull away. It’s the response to those moments that proves Tennessee is ready.
Lady Vols Coach Eve Rackham Watt didn’t mince words about the first set.
“We were not great,” Rackham Watt said. “What I saw was this team’s ability to respond to that.”
Chelsea Sutton concurred with her coach’s statements, noting that the team never felt down on itself.
“It’s not over yet,” said Sutton. “There’s always more time to fight back.”
The team’s late comeback in set one carried over into set two, where they played their best set of the season up to this point. It was dominance, pure dominance. Kennesaw couldn’t answer by more than two points at a time. Hayden Kubik was firing kill attempts so fast that audience members cringed as they flew near the heads of Kennesaw defenders. Chelsea Sutton was blocking shots in a manner comparable to what Hakeem Olajuwon was doing in his prime. Caroline Kerr was looking poised to be an All-American setter again.
Set three didn’t look the same as set one or two; in fact, it was almost directly in the middle. Tennessee led for the bulk of the set, and Kennesaw was unable to ever gain real steam, yet never felt entirely out of the game.
It’s that versatility that proves Tennessee is ready. Need a comeback set? They can do it. Want to see utter dominance? They can do it. Want to see a team battle to control a lead? They can do it. Not only can they, but they did it all in one match.
This team didn’t just walk over opponents in non-conference play, and it is for the better. They have real experience playing tough teams in tough situations. They’re prepared for any moment, and that should scare any opposing team.