University of Tennessee Athletics
2002 LADY VOL VOLLEYBALL SEASON IN REVIEW
June 17, 2003 | Volleyball
As the outset of the University of Tennessee Lady Vol volleyball squad's 2002 campaign approached, many people did not know what to expect from an inexperienced team that featured only two seniors, one junior, two sophomores and six freshmen. Head Coach Rob Patrick was certainly one of these people, and not one to dispute the uncertainty that awaited his sixth year at the helm. Despite having a youthful bunch to guide through the season, Patrick and the rest of the Lady Vols were not without goals for the year.
"The newcomers came here to play at the highest level, win the SEC Championship and compete in the NCAAs," said Patrick before the season. "They expect this team to be ranked in the Top 10 in the country. The upperclassmen had a taste of the NCAAs in 2000, and they are committed to getting back there this year."
While the Big Orange fell short of reaching the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season, there were plenty of bright spots throughout its journey in 2002.
UT kicked things off by heading to Bronx, N.Y., for the Fordham Rose Hill Classic on Aug. 30-31. It was the first time that the Lady Vol volleyball squad had ever traveled to the Big Apple, and Patrick felt it would be an educational excursion for the players to see the city one year after the terrorist attacks. The weekend turned out to be an enlightening experience on the hardwood, too, as the Orange and White swept all three matches, downing Cal State Fullerton, Iona and Fordham to claim the tourney crown. Against the host school in the final, senior outside hitter Janelle Hester reached a career milestone when she recorded her 1,000th kill on her last blast of the match. The Davenport, Iowa, native led the Lady Vols' offense with 55 kills in only nine games for a 6.11 kills per game average. Freshman setter Julie Knytych fell just two digs shy of a triple-double in the championship match with 38 helpers and 11 kills.
Before heading back to Rocky Top, Tennessee made a quick stop to South Orange, N.J., on Sept. 2 for a showdown with the Seton Hall Pirates. It was another whitewashing for UT and once again, Hester led the way with 13 kills. Sophomore middle blocker Michelle Piantadosi also reached double figures in kills with 10 to her credit.
Hester was named the SEC's initial Player of the Week for her stellar performance in New York. She was the first Lady Vol recognized since Ariana Wilson grabbed the honors in October of the previous season. It was the second time in Hester's career that she garnered the accolade from the conference office. She was then in turn named the Lady Vol Athlete of the Week.
Returning from their first road trip with an unblemished 4-0 record and a 12-0 mark in games, the Lady Volunteers' confidence was riding high. Their competition, though, would continue to get more challenging each week until the end of the year, and other obstacles were already presenting themselves as well. UT was still without the services of sophomore right side hitter Whitney Gifford, whose strained abdominal muscle suffered during preseason practice would keep her out of commission for an extended amount of time. The injury bug had also affected freshman libero Morgan Miltner in the form of shin splints, which would never completely heal until after the season.
The next stop on the Big Orange's travel itinerary was Cullowhee, N.C., home to Western Carolina and the Catamount Clash III over Sept. 6-7. UT's matchup with the host school on Friday night appeared as if it would end in a similar fashion to its previous four contests after winning the initial game. The Catamounts, though, were relentless in their attacking and defensive prowess, and what seemed like a sure victory turned into the Big Orange's first defeat of the season after dropping the next three games.
With no time to regroup or practice before their two Saturday matches, Patrick was anxious to see how the newcomers in his group would respond after experiencing the first loss of their careers. As it turned out, the Lady Vols came out focused and motivated to take care of business and leave Cullowhee with their heads held high. In the first tilt with Villanova, some red-hot hitting propelled Tennessee to its fifth win on the year. Hester led the way with a .500 clip thanks to 18 kills and only three errors on 30 attempts. Piantadosi chipped in 12 kills, while Knytych recorded her fourth double-double with 40 assists and 13 digs. The Big Orange's hitting turned to scorching in its tourney finale with Georgia State with a .385 mark (61-14-122) en route to yet another shutout. Although UT failed to capture the tournament crown, Patrick and his team felt good about where they were heading into their next challenge.
Tennessee had been eagerly waiting to host the Toyota of Knoxville Lady Vol Classic since last year's event was cancelled in light of the terrorist attacks. East Carolina, Rice and Virginia were set to take part in the tournament on Sept. 13-14, with the Owls taking on the Pirates in the first game and UT squaring off with the Cavaliers in the Friday nightcap.
The Lady Vols stormed out to a 2-0 lead against Virginia heading into the 10-minute intermission. The Orange and White were primed and ready to chalk up another shutout on their 2002 ledger, but the Cavaliers were not about to become UT's seventh victim of the year without a fight. The Wahoos won the third frame by two points, 30-28, giving the Lady Vols plenty of incentive for the next frame, which they claimed by a 30-24 count. Four orange-clad players finished the match with double-digit figures in kills, including senior outside hitter Kelli Scott (16), Hester (15), Piantadosi (15) and freshman Kristen Andre (14). Tennessee also tallied what would turn out to be a season-best 86 digs, 22 of which came from Miltner.
The next morning, the ECU Pirates awaited the Lady Volunteers and they proved to be no match for the hostesses. The Conference USA school became Tennessee's seventh shutout opponent of the year and also gave Patrick his 100th career victory. What seemed like a jubilant time for Patrick and his squad was short-lived when Hester was forced to return home to Davenport, Iowa, because of a family emergency.
Heading into the final at 7 p.m. against a tough team in Rice, the Big Orange knew it had an arduous task ahead in attempting to defeat the Owls without its most explosive offensive weapon. Patrick looked to Piantadosi to burden much of the load, as evidenced by her 17 kills on 56 attacks in the contest. Rice, however, ran its offense in crisp fashion and handed UT its second loss on the year, 3-0. Although Tennessee did not finish as it had hoped, Piantadosi and Scott both ended the weekend with spots on the all-tournament team.
With the Lady Vols' tournament schedule completed and little time to rest or prepare for their next non-conference matchup, Patrick knew his team would face one of its greatest road obstacles of the year in the hostile environment of Blacksburg, Va., the home of Virginia Tech. In the morning practice before the match, Scott suffered an injury to her hitting arm, and although she did play in the 7 p.m. clash with the Hokies, her impact would be negligible. Since Hester was still in Davenport and Scott was badly hurt, Patrick had only eight healthy bodies to throw at Virginia Tech. While the situation did not favor the Lady Vols, they were not deterred from what they had set out to accomplish in Blacksburg, and that was perfectly illustrated when the end result was sketched on the scoreboard.
Freshmen outside hitter Jasmine Fullove and middle blocker Heather Harrington set the tone in the first game with nine kills between themselves. After a 30-23 win, the Lady Vols snuck past the Hokies in the second stanza by a 30-28 count. UT trailed for most of the third frame but went on a 7-0 run at one point to snatch a 23-19 advantage. From there, the Lady Vols never looked back en route to the 30-26 victory.
Having proven its ability to play short-handed and with its back against the wall, Tennessee rolled to another victory on Sept. 22, upending Appalachian State, 3-0, with Hester back in the lineup in front of the home crowd. It was the Orange and White's last non-conference tune-up before bringing its 10-2 record to Baton Rouge, La., and Fayetteville, Ark., to face the two most highly-touted teams in the SEC Western Division in LSU and Arkansas.
UT's match with LSU on Sept. 29 marked the Lady Vols' debut on SEC-TV. It was not, however, the performance they had hoped to present on camera. Tennessee came out timid and its play was marred by mistakes. The Tigers dropped the Lady Vols in the first game by an 11-point margin, 30-19. The Big Orange showed signs of life in the second frame, but miscues during critical rallies cost the Lady Vols the game, 31-29. UT was stagnant in the third round as well and fell, 30-21, but there were still some bright spots for UT. Knytych ended the match only three kills away from a triple-double with 27 assists and 13 digs, while Hester hammered 15 kills.
The road woes continued for Tennessee in Arkansas, as the Lady Razorbacks handed UT a second-straight shutout. Patrick and the Lady Vols returned home from their first SEC matches feeling dazed and confused by what had happened. How could a team that had played so well up to that point falter so easily from one match to the next? There was no time to dwell on the question because the league's perennial powerhouse, third-ranked Florida, and a pesky group of Georgia Bulldogs were next for the Lady Vols in Knoxville the following weekend.
Although the Lady Vols dropped to 0-3 in the conference after being shut out by the Gators on Oct. 4, Patrick had no complaints about his team's execution. Collectively, Tennessee hit at a .262 clip, more than 100 points above what Florida had been holding opponents to that season. Piantadosi led UT's offense by ripping off 14 kills on 28 attacks, while committing only two errors.
In what would be its second appearance on television and their only one at home, the Orange and White was not about to give another lackluster performance when Georgia came calling on Oct. 6. The two teams matched each other game for game through the first four rounds, setting the stage for a thrilling finish. With the final game tied, 10-10, UT rose to the occasion and claimed five of the next six rallies for its first SEC win in 2002. Knytych finished with what would turn out to be a career-high 58 assists, while Hester, Piantadosi and Andre blasted 59 combined kills.
The Lady Vols won their second-straight league tilt the following Friday on Oct. 11 in Lexington, by defeating the Kentucky Wildcats in four games. It was off to Columbia, S.C., the next day to tangle with South Carolina. Many considered the Gamecocks to be the second-best team in the SEC behind Florida, but that had little effect on the Big Orange's mentality heading into the contest, and it showed when it held a 2-1 advantage after the first three games, much to the dismay of the rowdy home crowd. Although USC came back to win the match in five games, Patrick and the Lady Vols came away with a renewed sense of confidence that would carry them through the remainder of the season.
During the match, Scott picked up her 1,000th career dig, becoming just the sixth player in school history to reach the mark. Miltner also had a big day, as she piled up 25 digs, tying her for the ninth-most in a single match in Lady Vol history.
After clawing its way past an inspired group from Middle Tennessee State in five games on Oct. 15, UT prepared for another SEC road swing, this time in Mississippi. Historically, Ole Miss and Mississippi State had not performed well against the Orange and White, but with a young squad, the opportunity existed for some role reversal.
Tennessee butted heads with the Lady Rebels first on Oct. 18, and once again, the Lady Volunteers were pushed to the brink. When the smoke cleared, UT had come away with yet another five-game win and was inching closer to the .500 mark in conference play. Hester and Piantadosi provided the majority of the offense with 22 and 25 kills apiece. For Piantadosi, it was the first time in her career that she had recorded 20 or more kills in one match. Hester, on the other hand, was no stranger to putting up 20-plus kills in one night of work, as it was her third contest in a row reaching the plateau.
Mississippi State gave the Lady Vols fits as well in Starkville, as UT found itself trailing early and often in every game. Miraculously, Tennessee found a way to come back, with much of the credit going to Knytych-thanks to her fiery and inspirational personality on the court. Tennessee won the match, 3-1, and headed back to Rocky Top ready to host Alabama and Auburn on Oct. 25 and 27.
The Crimson Tide entered the match ranked No. 4 in the South Region with a 15-8 record and a 6-3 showing up to that point in the SEC. The Tide pounced on Tennessee in the first game, but it was the last lead they would see on the evening. The Lady Vols plowed through the next three games and took advantage of the numerous Alabama miscues for their fourth-straight win. Hester led the Big Orange in kills once again with 16, while Miltner threw in 20 digs on the defensive side.
The Lady Vols had to be careful in their next contest not to underestimate Auburn, who had won only a single decision to that point in the season. While it was not worthy of an Academy Award, Tennessee performed well enough to win in three stanzas and improved to 17-6 and 6-4 in the conference. It was the fifth consecutive mark in the win column for UT and the victory sent visions of playing in the NCAA Tournament dancing through the Lady Vols' minds. Several grueling conference matches were still ahead on the slate, though, and the squad needed to be careful not to jump ahead of itself.
Tennessee's five-match winning streak turned out to be the peak of its roller coaster ride in 2002, and the next three matchups would all be straight downhill. Georgia, Florida and South Carolina blanked the orange-clad warriors, leaving them in desperate need of a little redemption when it came time to host Kentucky on Nov. 10.
Both teams came in with 6-7 records in the SEC and each was vying for a better seed in the conference tourney. Tennessee dominated the first game, 30-20, but lost a tight one in the second, 32-30. UT came out of the intermission and gave Kentucky a dose of its own medicine by winning the pivotal third game, 32-30. The Lady Vols, however, could not put the Wildcats down for good and dropped the fourth frame by a 30-26 count. After holding a considerable advantage in the fifth game, the Orange and White staved off a late comeback by UK to pick up the win. Scott, Piantadosi and Andre led the offensive charge with double figures in kills. The latter two of the trio also tallied seven blocks. As a whole, the Lady Vols posted a season-high 16.5 blocks.
Tennessee made a quick trip to Johnson City on Nov. 12 for a showdown with East Tennessee State and took down the Buccaneers, 3-0. While it did not seem like a significant match to some, it was for Scott, as she banged out the 1,000th kill of her tenure with UT. By doing so, she became just the fourth Lady Vol to reach 1,000 kills and digs. The ETSU coaching staff was generous enough to offer Scott the game ball following the match.
Scott's accolades continued a couple days later when she was named to the Verizon Academic All-District IV Volleyball First Team. Although she did not make the All-America team, which was announced in December, Scott had much to celebrate as she was only the fourth Lady Vol to receive the distinction. With so many achievements occurring in such a short amount of time, Scott was almost overwhelmed by all the happenings. But she still had her sights set on something else: an SEC Championship.
The Arkansas Lady Razorbacks and LSU Tigers were the final two teams on Tennessee's docket before the SEC Tournament. Luckily for the Lady Volunteers, both matches would be contested in the familiar setting of Stokely Athletics Center.
Before the match began, Senior Night was celebrated, but only Scott was in attendance. Her counterpart, Hester, had returned home a few days beforehand to attend the funeral for her recently deceased father. It was an emotional night for the Lady Vols without one of their captains, but it only partly distracted them from their focus to the business at hand.
Despite the fact that Arkansas managed to pull off the win, 3-1, Patrick was encouraged by the way his team played and he felt as if the Lady Vols had a golden opportunity to get some revenge on an LSU team that had embarrassed them on TV earlier in the year. Plus, a win over the Tigers would guarantee Tennessee the No. 6 seed in the league tournament, which would pit them against Arkansas, a team that Patrick believed his squad could defeat.
When the match with LSU came to a conclusion, it was clear that the Tigers had overlooked the Lady Vols. UT did not surrender a game to the Bayou Bengals, hitting at a .381 clip and committing only nine attack errors on the afternoon. It was just the remedy Patrick had been trying to find for his battered team, and things looked promising heading into the SEC Tournament.
Having to face the Lady'Backs for a third time was something Patrick relished. He knew their weaknesses and had his squad practice how to exploit them all week long. It would not be an easy task for Tennessee, though, because the tournament was being held in Fayetteville, a hostile environment for any team to walk into.
After watching Alabama stun the No. 2-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks in the morning matchup on Nov. 22, Tennessee was inspired for its third clash of the year with the host school. Arkansas, however, put the Lady Vols' dreams of repeating what the Crimson Tide had done earlier in the day to rest when it sent them home with a 3-0 defeat. The Lady Vols' voyage in 2002 ended with a 20-11 record and an 8-8 performance in the SEC.
Even though it was not the storybook ending that Patrick and the Lady Volunteers had hoped for, things look very promising for the coming years with only two seniors departing from the team and a group of star-studded recruits coming to Knoxville the following August. With such a striking and talented cast of players donning the Orange and White next season, Tennessee will be looking to make an even bigger statement on the hardwood in 2003.
