By Stephen Mason
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee’s bench might be the team’s best asset, and that’s not because it’s a comfortable place to sit.
After a loss to No. 15 Purdue on Sunday, a motivated Tennessee volleyball team came storming back and dominated its competition this week, winning three matches in two days while dropping only one set. The team showcased its incredible depth, utilizing multiple players to secure the victories.
In Friday’s win over Winthrop (25-19, 25-21, 25-13), freshman Izzy Mogridge led the team with 23 assists. In the prior two matches against Wofford and Samford, junior Caroline Kerr led with 41 and 28 assists, respectively.
Different players also found success on the attack. In Thursday’s match against Wofford, Paityn Chapman recorded 13 kills, including the 250th of her career. On Friday afternoon against Samford, Hayden Kubik had a career-high 18 kills.
“I think what we care about is how much depth we have on the team,” Kubik said. “So for me to come in and do the best I could is all I can ask for.”
Coach Eve Rackham Watt knew that using her bench would be crucial to survive the now-concluded marathon of matches. She also sees the value of the team’s depth, particularly at the setter position.
“We saw Izzy and Caroline a lot over the past two days,” Rackham Watt said. “But what it does for us is keep the practice level so high on both sides of the net … that preparation is what helps us the most day in and day out.”
This luxury of having so many options allows Tennessee to use many rotations and formations, a flexibility Rackham Watt hopes will help her team have a successful season.
“Any time you can be adaptable and not a one-trick pony, it’s a good recipe for having a good season,” Rackham Watt said. “You’re likely going to need more than just six or seven players all year long.”
After a long two days, the team will get the weekend off before hosting No. 23 Georgia Tech next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Food City Center as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.