By Abby Doperak
The No. 17 Tennessee Lady Vols’ undefeated streak came to an end after they were swept by the No. 2 Pittsburgh Panthers.
Tennessee took on Pittsburgh in the Shriners Children’s Showdown at the Net at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida. Both teams entered the match looking to extend their undefeated records.
The Panthers traveled from Utah to Florida, where they most recently defeated the Utes 3-1. The Lady Vols also continued their stretch on the road, traveling from Nashville, Tennessee, where they most recently swept Indiana.
Pittsburgh entered the night with a 6-0 record within the Atlantic Coast Conference, while Tennessee entered at 5-0 within the Southeastern Conference.
The Panthers set the tone early, beginning the first set on a 7-0 run. The Lady Vols found their footing at 7-1 and gained momentum, cutting the deficit to four at 15-11.
Despite the effort, Tennessee could not cut the deficit to fewer than four points. The Panthers pulled ahead and comfortably held their lead to win the set 25-17.
Pittsburgh took an early lead again in the second set but maintained it for only three points before Tennessee secured its first lead at 4-3. The second set was a back-and-forth battle as the lead changed hands several times.
Tennessee found its momentum yet again, going on a 4-1 run to take a 19-17 lead. The race for set point came down to the wire when the score was tied at 23-23. It was anyone’s set until Pitt once again jumped ahead to win 28-26.
The third set was again controlled early by Pittsburgh, which took an early 11-4 lead. The Lady Vols continued their trend of battling back, tightening the score to 13-12 with an impressive 8-2 run.
The score was tied at 18-18 when the Panthers went on a 6-0 run. With Pitt one point away from winning the set, the Lady Vols challenged the call, and the point was awarded to Tennessee.
The Lady Vols took that energy and ran with it, but Pittsburgh stopped the comeback attempt and won the set 25-20, completing the sweep.
Tennessee’s efforts against the Panthers were led by Kennedi Rogers and Jalyn Stout, who each recorded 10 kills, while Caroline Kerr added 30 assists.
Tennessee’s offense has been one of its biggest contributors to its early-season success. Despite falling short in total kills (51-38) and assists (46-32), the Lady Vols showcased their resilience and composure against a higher-ranked opponent.
The Lady Vols return to Knoxville on Saturday, Sept. 12, when they take on Coastal Carolina at 3 p.m. EDT.