Tennessee volleyball is carrying real heat into the stretch run, and the latest poll reflects it.
After a statement week that included a reverse sweep of then-No. 4 Kentucky on Wednesday, Oct. 21 and a four-set win over then-No.
22 Vanderbilt on Sunday, the Lady Vols climbed to No. 6 in this week’s AVCA/Taraflex Division I Women’s Volleyball Poll. That’s the program’s highest ranking since Tennessee finished No. 6 in the 2005 season.
The wins also pushed Tennessee to 16-3 overall and 7-2 in the Southeastern Conference, with the Lady Vols now riding a seven-match winning streak.
Chelsea Sutton was a big reason the momentum kept rolling, and the SEC noticed. The junior middle blocker from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after hitting .419 across the two ranked victories. She averaged 2.33 kills and 2.72 points per set.
Sutton was at her best against Kentucky, finishing with 14 kills on a .538 hitting percentage while also adding five digs, three blocks and an assist. She came back with seven kills, four blocks and three digs against Vanderbilt.
She has worked her way back after dealing with an injury early in the season, and Eve Rackham Watt pointed to that progress after Sunday’s match.
“I certainly think Chelsea Sutton, as she’s gotten healthier, has really improved,” Rackham Watt said. “Obviously she was a tremendous player, but we didn’t have the same version of her early just because of the injury. So she’s been able to get back a little bit closer to full strength.”
Tennessee had plenty of help around Sutton, too. Kennedi Rogers posted 13 kills and 13 digs against Kentucky, while Jalyn Stout finished with 13 kills and 10 digs in that match.
Rogers then led the Lady Vols with 18 kills against Vanderbilt, picking up her second double-double of the week. Maggie Dostic also turned in a double-double against the Commodores and finished Tennessee’s fourth set by scoring the last three points.
Both matches tested the Lady Vols’ nerve. Tennessee fell behind two sets to none against Kentucky before storming back, and Sunday’s fourth set against Vanderbilt was tied at 19 before Sutton delivered two straight blocks to help tilt the finish.
“They came into both matches this past week with a high level of belief in their ability and in their team,” Rackham Watt said. “We were in really tight situations last week against Kentucky, and today the same thing.”
Tennessee now heads back on the road for a Friday matchup at Texas A&M before wrapping up the weekend trip at Missouri on Sunday, Nov. 1.
“It’s no surprise everybody in our league is good,” Rackham Watt said on Sunday. “And so we’re expecting that next week.”
In Other News...
Tennessees Costly 4th-And-1 Breakdown Deserves A Closer Look
A late fourth-and-1 became the kind of moment Tennessee would like back for a long time, with quarterback George MacIntyre unable to execute the intended handoff and the play ending in a loss of yards and a turnover on downs. It was the sort of breakdown that can swing a game in a hurry, and in this case it opened the door for South Carolina to tie things up before going on to win.
Josh Heupel and MacIntyre both pointed to the sequence as a misstep and a miscommunication, which only adds to the sting for Tennessee because the margin for error was already so thin. On a night when one clean exchange might have changed the finish, the Volunteers were left sorting through how a short-yardage call unraveled at the worst possible time. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Benefits After South Carolinas Costly Postgame Chaos
Tennessee will collect an unexpected off-field benefit from one of the SECs newest enforcement measures after South Carolina was fined $500,000 for fans storming the field at Williams-Brice Stadium following a game-winning field goal against the Volunteers. The penalty marks the third field-storming fine in the conference this season and the first under the leagues flat-rate system, which replaced a more variable approach to these violations.
For Tennessee, the result is less about the dollar amount than the principle behind it. The money will be paid to the visiting team affected by the violation, giving the Volunteers a direct return from a night that ended in chaos for the home crowd. It is another reminder that the SEC is trying to make field-storming more expensive, even as the practice continues to create problems after close games. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Still Has Two Strengths That Should Worry Kentucky
Even after the 27-24 loss to South Carolina, Tennessee still has the kind of defensive backbone and ground game that can make life miserable for Kentucky. The Volunteers have piled up 35 sacks and 66 tackles for loss this season, numbers that speak to a front capable of changing games even when the offense does not fully capitalize. On the other side of the ball, DeSean Bishop gave Tennessee a needed spark with 120 rushing yards and a touchdown, a performance that also pushed him past some meaningful career benchmarks.
Now the bye week gives Tennessee a chance to reset before the Kentucky matchup, and that is where the Vols will lean on what has traveled best for them all year. If the defense keeps collapsing pockets and the run game keeps producing steady yards, Tennessee has a clear path to making the rivalry game uncomfortable for the Wildcats, even after the setback in Columbia. [Read more 🡒]