University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vols Finish Second at Minnesota-Diet Coke Classic
September 17, 2000 | Volleyball
- Box Score
MINNESOTA, MINN. (Sept. 16, 2000) -- The University of Tennessee volleyball team picked up its second straight victory, a 3-0 blanking of Seton Hall on September 16 in the University of Minnesota-Diet Coke Classic. The Lady Vols defeated Akron earlier in the day by the identical score. A loss to No. 9 Minnesota on Friday placed the Orange and White second in the tournament.
Junior co-captains setter Erica Lear (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East) and outside hitter Ariana Wilson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) earned places on the All-Tournament squad. Lear contributed 66 assists, 33 digs and eight kills to her team's 2-1 performance over the weekend. Wilson had a 39 kills, 10 blocks and 17 digs to the effort.
In the final match of the tourney, head coach Rob Patrick's squad charged out of the gates and dominated game one. Sophomore middle blocker Janelle Hester (Davenport, Iowa/Davenport) led the charge, killing the ball seven times on eight attacks for a .857 hitting percentage. Lear set her way to nine assists. Wilson added three kills to the domination while sophomore outside hitter Kelli Scott (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial) served up three straight service aces mid-game and later contributed two kills to seal the game at 15-1 for the Lady Vols.
The Pirates battled back in game two, rebounding from a negative hitting percentage in the first frame to hit .155. The two teams kept the match knotted or traded points until Patrick's squad went up 12-8, the Orange and White would not look back, taking the second frame, 15-11. Hester added nine kills in game two while Wilson tallied seven more and Scott improved her match total by four. Scott also added two more service aces.
Improved passing gave Seton Hall two early points in game three, but UT picked up its play with strong serves and better hitting to take the game and the match at 15-4. Junior outside hitter Andrea Peterson (Los Angeles, Calif./Notre Dame Academy) posted three service aces and two kills in the third frame. Hester continued to dominate the Pirates' front line, adding six kills in the third frame for a match-high 21. Wilson ended up with 11 kills and a career-high eight digs. Lear matched her assist total from earlier in the day against Akron, with 40. She also had a team-high 12 digs. Scott ended up with 10 kills and a career-high tying five service aces along with 11 digs.
The University of Minnesota won the tournament, going 3-0 on the weekend.
Up next for the Orange and White, the team will return to the friendly confines of the Stokely Athletics Center for a four-game homestand beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 19 with a match with UNC-Asheville. The Lady Vols open their Southeastern Conference schedule on Sept. 22 and 24 with tilts against Mississippi and Mississippi State. The Stokely stint concludes with an affair with Virginia Tech on Sept. 26.
