University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Ole Miss
NO. 18 UT VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS EIGHTH STRAIGHT SEC OPPONENT
October 10, 2004 | Volleyball
Oct. 10, 2004
OXFORD, Miss. -- The 18th-ranked University of Tennessee volleyball team topped Ole Miss in three, 30-27, 30-19, 30-24, to move to 16-1, 6-0 in Southeastern Conference play. The Lady Vols have now won eight straight SEC matches, the longest such streak in school history, surpassing a seven-match stretch from Oct. 13, 1984-Oct. 9, 1985. Tennessee has won 25 consecutive SEC games (also a school record) and, in all matches, holds a 21-game winning steak, the longest at Tennessee since the 1973 squad ran off 34 straight to begin its season.
The win also extended UT's best start to a season since 1973 and best SEC start in school history.
"I'm glad that we were successful but, both myself and the team, are not satisfied with the energy and level that we played at today," Head Coach Rob Patrick said. "It showed in our unforced hitting and passing errors."
Junior middle blocker Kristen Andre (Kelseyville, Calif. / Kelseyville H.S.) had another monster match for the Lady Vols, hitting .636 (14-0-22).
"Kristen is as consistent a player as there is," Patrick said. "It's amazing the jump in improvement she's made from last season to this season. Nothing gets her flustered and she sees the court well, taking smart swings. A lot of credit also goes to (setter) Julie (Knytych) for putting the ball in the right spots for Kristen."
Junior outside hitter Amy Morris (Michigan City, Ind. / Penn State) also played spectacularly, hitting at a .480 clip (15-3-25), while senior outside hitter Michelle Piantadosi (Boca Raton, Fla. / Olympic Heights H.S.) had an impressive performance as well, hitting .346 (13-4-26). Freshman outside hitter Yuliya Stoyanova (Sofia, Bulgaria / 81 SOU Victory Hugo H.S.) contributed 10 kills of her own, hitting .250 (10-5-20).
Junior setter Julie Knytych (LaGrange Park, Ill. / Lyons Township H.S.) tallied 47 assists in helping the Lady Vols hit .345 as a team.
Defensively, sophomore libero Annie Sadowski (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton-Warrenville H.S.) led all Lady Vols in digs with 16, while Stoyanova contributed nine of her own. Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Blum (Tulsa, Okla. / Bishop Kelley H.S.) tallied six blocks to lead that category with Stoyanova not far behind with four. The first game was full of streaks as UT put together 10-1 and 8-2 runs to take a 26-16 advantage before Ole Miss came back with a 9-3 run to pull within two, 29-27, before UT put it away, 30-27. Andre hit an .875 (7-0-8) in the game.
In game two, 5-0, 6-0 and 8-0 runs put the Lady Rebels away as UT was victorious, 30-19. Game three saw Ole Miss hold close with the Lady Vols, trailing by only four, 15-11, before UT gradually pulled away for a 26-15 advantage. The Lady Rebels responded with a 6-0 run of their own but UT held them off, 30-24.
The Lady Vols hit the road again this weekend, playing Auburn at 8 p.m. CDT on Friday before heading cross-state to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face Alabama at 1:30 p.m. CDT on Sunday.
