KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 15th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols will look to continue their hot start to the season this weekend, as they host Chicago State and Evansville at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Thursday and Friday.
The Big Orange (7-1) opens with Chicago State, who is currently 6-2 to begin the season, on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. ET. The match can be live streamed on SEC Network+. After the Cougars take on Evansville at 11 a.m. on Friday, Tennessee will face the 5-3 Purple Aces to conclude the weekend at 6:30 p.m. That match will also be streamed on SEC Network+.
Tennessee volleyball will be teaming up with Second Harvest Food Bank to help feed those in need. Fans who bring two non-perishable food items to the match will receive one complimentary ticket. Just bring your food items to Food City Center, and you’ll receive your ticket from the Tennessee Fan Experience tent.
For fans planning to attend, note that Tennessee’s clear-bag policy will be in effect again this season. All fans should enter through Gate B.
TICKETING PROCEDURE
Tickets to all Tennessee Athletics events are digital and can be accessed through a mobile device to improve security and reduce the risk of ticket fraud as well as make the process more convenient for fans.
Fans will gain admission into all venues via a unique QR code which will be scanned directly from a mobile device. For quick and easy entry into Tennessee Athletics venues, fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app from the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android).
Digital tickets can be managed via a mobile device or desktop web browser, but a mobile device is required for venue access on matchdays.
Your mobile device is the ticket on gameday. All valid digital tickets will display a moving barcode or a hold near reader (tap-and-go) icon. PLEASE NOTE: SCREENSHOTS OF TICKETS WILL NOT SCAN AT THE GATE AND WILL NOT ALLOW ENTRY!
FINGALL NAMED AVCA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For the second time in her career, Morgahn Fingall was named the AVCA National Player of the Week after averaging 6.57 points per set and 5.71 kills per set—both of which led the SEC for the week—while hitting .421 in wins over Loyola and No. 24 Marquette. She was also tabbed the SEC Player and Offensive Player of the Week.
FINGALL, MOORE LED SEC IN KILLS PER SET LAST WEEK
The offensive duo of Morgahn Fingall and Jenaisya Moore was nearly unstoppable last week. The two outside hitters ranked first and second in the SEC in kills per set, with Fingall posting 5.71 and Moore with 4.57. Both Lady Vols also hit for better than .420 for the weekend, helping UT go 2-0.
HIGHEST RANKING SINCE 2012
Tennessee moved up to 15th in the AVCA rankings this week. That marks the highest ranking for the Lady Vols since being No. 14 during the Week 1 poll in 2012.
KERR TABBED SEC SETTER OF THE WEEK
Fingall wasn’t the only Lady Vol to receive an award from the SEC. Caroline Kerr earmed SEC Setter of the Week honors after posting an SEC-leading 14.14 assists per set—2.56 more than the next closest player. She led a dominant attack for UT that hit for .389 during the two contests and averaged 16.86 kills per set. For the season, she is averaging 11.36 assists per set, which ranks sixth nationally and leads the SEC. She’s eclipsed the 50-assist margin twice and nearly did so a third time when she posted 48 in the sweep at No. 24 Marquette.
SPREAD THE ATTACK
Boasting one of the best attacking groups in the country, the Big Orange has a balanced front that can get a point for the Lady Vols. Five different players are currently averaging more than two kills per set, including two individuals who are averaging more than three.
RACKHAM WATT APPROACHING MAJOR MILESTONE
In her sixth season on Rocky Top, head coach Eve Rackham Watt is just three wins away from reaching the 100th victory of her career. She’s on pace to be the second-fastest coach in program history to achieve the mark and the fastest in the modern era of Tennessee volleyball (since 1981).
LADY VOLS START 5-0
Tennessee won its first five matches to begin the year, marking the second time the team achieved this feat under the direction of head coach Eve Rackham Watt. The previous time was in her first season on Rocky Top in 2018, when the Lady Vols went 26-6 for the year. Prior to that, UT only started 5-0 three times between 2005-17.
LADY VOLS AT HOME
Tennessee is 57-17 when playing at home under Eve Rackham Watt. During the last three seasons, the Lady Vols boast a 29-7 record when playing at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
FINGALL’S HOT START
The Big Orange (7-1) opens with Chicago State, who is currently 6-2 to begin the season, on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. ET. The match can be live streamed on SEC Network+. After the Cougars take on Evansville at 11 a.m. on Friday, Tennessee will face the 5-3 Purple Aces to conclude the weekend at 6:30 p.m. That match will also be streamed on SEC Network+.
Tennessee volleyball will be teaming up with Second Harvest Food Bank to help feed those in need. Fans who bring two non-perishable food items to the match will receive one complimentary ticket. Just bring your food items to Food City Center, and you’ll receive your ticket from the Tennessee Fan Experience tent.
For fans planning to attend, note that Tennessee’s clear-bag policy will be in effect again this season. All fans should enter through Gate B.
TICKETING PROCEDURE
Tickets to all Tennessee Athletics events are digital and can be accessed through a mobile device to improve security and reduce the risk of ticket fraud as well as make the process more convenient for fans.
Fans will gain admission into all venues via a unique QR code which will be scanned directly from a mobile device. For quick and easy entry into Tennessee Athletics venues, fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app from the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android).
Digital tickets can be managed via a mobile device or desktop web browser, but a mobile device is required for venue access on matchdays.
Your mobile device is the ticket on gameday. All valid digital tickets will display a moving barcode or a hold near reader (tap-and-go) icon. PLEASE NOTE: SCREENSHOTS OF TICKETS WILL NOT SCAN AT THE GATE AND WILL NOT ALLOW ENTRY!
FINGALL NAMED AVCA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For the second time in her career, Morgahn Fingall was named the AVCA National Player of the Week after averaging 6.57 points per set and 5.71 kills per set—both of which led the SEC for the week—while hitting .421 in wins over Loyola and No. 24 Marquette. She was also tabbed the SEC Player and Offensive Player of the Week.
FINGALL, MOORE LED SEC IN KILLS PER SET LAST WEEK
The offensive duo of Morgahn Fingall and Jenaisya Moore was nearly unstoppable last week. The two outside hitters ranked first and second in the SEC in kills per set, with Fingall posting 5.71 and Moore with 4.57. Both Lady Vols also hit for better than .420 for the weekend, helping UT go 2-0.
HIGHEST RANKING SINCE 2012
Tennessee moved up to 15th in the AVCA rankings this week. That marks the highest ranking for the Lady Vols since being No. 14 during the Week 1 poll in 2012.
KERR TABBED SEC SETTER OF THE WEEK
Fingall wasn’t the only Lady Vol to receive an award from the SEC. Caroline Kerr earmed SEC Setter of the Week honors after posting an SEC-leading 14.14 assists per set—2.56 more than the next closest player. She led a dominant attack for UT that hit for .389 during the two contests and averaged 16.86 kills per set. For the season, she is averaging 11.36 assists per set, which ranks sixth nationally and leads the SEC. She’s eclipsed the 50-assist margin twice and nearly did so a third time when she posted 48 in the sweep at No. 24 Marquette.
SPREAD THE ATTACK
Boasting one of the best attacking groups in the country, the Big Orange has a balanced front that can get a point for the Lady Vols. Five different players are currently averaging more than two kills per set, including two individuals who are averaging more than three.
RACKHAM WATT APPROACHING MAJOR MILESTONE
In her sixth season on Rocky Top, head coach Eve Rackham Watt is just three wins away from reaching the 100th victory of her career. She’s on pace to be the second-fastest coach in program history to achieve the mark and the fastest in the modern era of Tennessee volleyball (since 1981).
LADY VOLS START 5-0
Tennessee won its first five matches to begin the year, marking the second time the team achieved this feat under the direction of head coach Eve Rackham Watt. The previous time was in her first season on Rocky Top in 2018, when the Lady Vols went 26-6 for the year. Prior to that, UT only started 5-0 three times between 2005-17.
LADY VOLS AT HOME
Tennessee is 57-17 when playing at home under Eve Rackham Watt. During the last three seasons, the Lady Vols boast a 29-7 record when playing at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
FINGALL’S HOT START
- Morgahn Fingall has been on fire to begin this season. While her numbers are slightly down from last year thanks to the addition and improvement of other attackers around her, she continues to be a nightmare for opposing defenses.
- For the year, the right side hitter is averaging 4.11 kills per set and 4.73 points per set. She’s recorded double-digit kills in five matches, including two 20-kill efforts.
- This week, Fingall was named the AVCA National Player of the Week for the second time in her career in addition to SEC Player of the Week and SEC Offensive Player of the Week for her performances at Loyola and No. 24 Marquette. The graduate student averaged 6.57 points per set and 5.71 kills per set—both of which led the SEC for the week—while hitting .421.
- During UT’s match at Marquette, Fingall opened the contest on fire, recording nine kills on 10 attacks in the first set to set the tone early. For the match, she finished with 18 kills on .471 hitting, a season-high six blocks and three digs to lead the Lady Vols to a sweep against the ranked Golden Eagles. Against Loyola Chicago, she matched her season-best in kills with 22 on .381 hitting to go along with seven digs and two aces.
- To begin the season, Fingall earned MVP honors at the Tennessee Classic after posting 28 kills on a .338 hitting percentage, 12 digs, five blocks and two aces.
- During UT’s West Coast trip and road match at No. 1 Wisconsin, Fingall tallied 47 kills, 20 digs, six blocks, four aces and four assists. Against the Badgers, she went for a season-best 22 kills in the five-set thriller.
KERR EARNS SEC WEEKLY HONOR FOR SECOND WEEK IN A ROW
- After being named Freshman of the Week last Tuesday, redshirt freshman Caroline Kerr garnered SEC Setter of the Week recognition this week after her performances against Loyola and No. 24 Marquette.
- Kerr posted an SEC-leading 14.14 assists per set—2.56 more than the next closest player—during the 2-0 weekend. She led a dominant attack for UT that hit for .389 during the two contests and averaged 16.86 kills per set. In just seven sets, she recorded 99 assists to go along with eight digs, five kills and one block.
- Kerr opened the weekend by eclipsing the 50-assist mark for the second match in a row, tallying 51 assists and seven digs in just four sets against Loyola Chicago. Against the Golden Eagles, she nearly reached that achievement for a third time, posting 48 assists—an average of 16.0 per set—during UT’s sweep against Marquette. In that top-25 win, she helped Tennessee attackers hit for an impressive .438.
- She currently ranks sixth nationally and leads the SEC in assists per set with 11.36. As a team, Tennessee leads the SEC in the same category and ranks eighth in the country with an average of 13.46 assists per set.
- She’s a big reason for Tennessee’s early offensive success as well, helping the Lady Vols boast the nation’s fourth-ranked hitting offense (.328) and checking in at sixth in kills per set (14.54). Both categories are SEC bests.
MOORE THRIVING ON ROCKY TOP
- Jenaisya Moore joined the Lady Vols after four years at Ohio State as one of the top transfers in the nation, and the graduate student has wasted no time making an impact at Tennessee.
- So far this season, she boasts 3.43 kills per set while hitting .339. Her 96 kills trail only Morgahn Fingall’s 115. The duo has quickly become one of the most potent offensive fronts in the country. The two ranked first and second in the SEC in kills per set last week, combining for 10.28.
- Against Loyola and No. 24 Marquette, she posted 32 kills in seven sets for an average of 4.57 kills per set. Had it not been for Fingall, she would’ve had a strong case for SEC weekly honors, especially considering she hit an impressive .467 for the weekend.
- For the season, she leads the team with six double-digit kill performances. At Loyola, she went for a season-best 17 kills.
