By Lily Helton
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.- It’s 24-23, and the Lady Vols volleyball team needs one more point to win the first set of this game. Chelsea Sutton called for the ball just a little bit louder, hit her approach steps a little bit stronger, and she hit the ball a little harder.
She got the kill, and the Lady Vols went up 1-0.
The Lady Vols swept the Auburn Tigers on Sunday. But, each set was tight, coming down to two-point differences each set.
The team finished with five aces, setter Caroline Kerr finished with 41 assists, and middle hitter Zoe Humphrey led the team in blocking with one solo block and four blocking assists. The team played together, picking up where the last hitter left off. Hayden Kubik led the team in kills with 17, Sutton followed with 15, and Plante was not far behind with nine.
“This was as much of a team effort as any match we’ve played all year,” said head coach Eve Rackham Watt.
How It Happened
The Lady Vols came onto the court hot, pushing ahead early in the first set to 6-0. The team was winning at the net, and they were dominating offensively. Slowly but surely, Auburn persistently played its game. The team made points of their own on offense and got blocks on defense, closing the gap from one to three point margins. The Lady Vols picked it back up late, producing on offense and controlling the net to take set one.
Set two had a much different story. The Tigers went on a run early, leading the Lady Vols, who trailed consistently by one to two points early in the set, and there were signs of stress across the team. Tennessee was letting balls drop and running across the court, scrambling, to get them back into play.
“When they get stressed, this team, you know, struggles,” said Rakham Watt.
Late in the second set, though, Kubick had a hot hand, getting three kills late. After a block from Sutton, the set was won.
Set three was point-for-point from the very beginning. Each team was trading kills, blocks, and errors. Players like Kerr and Humphrey were dominant at the net, and Plante hit strategically off the block. The Lady Vols played persistently to win, and they were able to secure a 26-24 set win to sweep Auburn.
“We’re winning no matter what,” said Sutton.
Up Next
This was a statement win for the Lady Vols after the heartbreaking loss to Florida at home earlier in the week. Tennessee was able to finish out close sets and will look to continue to do that with an SEC road trip coming up. The team’s next game is Friday, Oct. 24, in Tuscaloosa, Ala., facing the Crimson Tide.