University of Tennessee Athletics
UT Prepares for Showdown vs. UK
September 25, 2007 | Volleyball
Match Notes (PDF)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ??? The University of Tennessee volleyball team (7-4, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) will make the short trip up I-75 to Lexington, Ky., for its initial mid-week contest of the season, when it takes on Kentucky (12-3, 3-1 SEC) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Memorial Coliseum. The Lady Vols will then return home for a one-match home-stand, as they host Arkansas (6-8, 0-4 SEC) at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Stokely Athletics Center. Live video of the contest with the Lady Razorbacks will be available online at www.UTLadyVols.com.
This past weekend, the Big Orange split a pair of contests in its first SEC road trip of the season. It opened with a 3-1 victory at Auburn on Friday, Sept. 21, before dropping a hard-fought, five-game decision at Georgia two days later. Against the Tigers, Lady Vol sophomore Leah Hinkey led the team with 16 kills, while senior Yuliya StoyanovaJen posted a season-high nine putaways in the match.
Defensively, sophomore libero Chloe Goldman collected a team-best 19 digs, while fellow classmates Jena Berg and Jaye Loyd added 17 and 12 each. Hinkey also led the squad in blocks with seven, while freshman Nikki Fowler set a new career high and team season-best with 43 attacks.
In the loss to the Bulldogs, Berg recorded her fifth consecutive double-double, setting new career highs in both assists and digs with 56 and 24, respectively. Goldman also added a personal-best with 28 digs, marking the 13th-highest single match total in UT history and the 10th-highest in a five-game match.
So far this season, the Lady Vols have been led offensively by Hinkey and Fowler. A 6-1 middle blocker, Hinkey tops the team with 124 kills, a .340 hitting percentage and 3.10 kills per game, while Fowler paces the squad with 322 attacks and ranks second with 106 putaways. On the other side of the net, Goldman is currently third in the SEC with a 5.18 digs per game average, while Hinkey is fourth in the league with 1.42 blocks per frame.
Tennessee vs. Kentucky Breakdown
Currently 12-3 on the season, Kentucky has won two straight and five of its last six matches. The Wildcats are 3-1 in SEC play, with their lone loss coming at the hands of Alabama on Sept. 16.
Junior Queen Nzenwa is the team???s top weapon on both offense and defense this season. The 6-2 middle blocker currently leads the SEC in both hitting percentage (.426) and blocks per game (1.62).
Senior Nicole Britenriker has helped carry the load offensively, recording the third-most kills in the league with 218, while junior Alisa Pierce has assisted on the defensive side of the court with 3.96 digs per game, good for eighth in the conference. Sophomore Sarah Rumely has paced the UK attack with 12.15 assists per frame.
The Wildcats hold a 36-23 advantage in the all-time series with the Lady Vols, including victories in both matchups last season. Prior to those losses, UT had won the previous four contests.
Tennessee vs. Arkansas Breakdown
An NCAA Tournament team last season, Arkansas has struggled thus far into 2007, dropping its last seven decisions. The Lady Razorbacks will take a 6-8, 0-4 SEC record into this weekend???s play. They will face Kentucky at 7 p.m. on Friday before making the trip to Rocky Top for a 1:30 p.m. showdown on Sunday.
Head coach Chris Poole will look to senior Jessica Dorrell to generate much of the offense for his team. The 5-11 outside hitter ranks second in the league with 4.33 kills per game and has nearly 30 percent of the team???s total kills this season with 221.
Defensively, the task will fall to senior libero Ashley Miller and freshman middle blocker Sarah Freudenrich. Miller has amassed a 4.69 digs per game average, while Freudenrich has recorded 1.29 blocks per frame. Those averages rank sixth and seventh in the SEC, respectively.
Lady Vols Live on the Web
Fans of the Lady Vol volleyball team will be able to watch their favorite team in action this weekend, as a live video feed will be available for free on www.UTLadyVols.com for the Orange and White???s showdown with Arkansas at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30.
Super Sophomores
One of the main keys to success for Tennessee this season has been the continued improvement of its highly-heralded sophomore class. The group of seven elite athletes was ranked as high as the sixth-best recruiting class in the country prior to the 2006 campaign and it has lived up to its billing so far.
All seven players saw competitive action during their rookie campaigns and have pushed for even more playing time this year. Led by 2006 All-SEC Freshman Team member middle blocker Leah Hinkey, the unit also includes this season???s starting setter Jena Berg, libero Chloe Goldman and outside hitter Kylie Marshall, as well as Jaye Loyd, Carol Cheade and Farren Powe.
In 2007, the seven-member sophomore class has accounted for 74.1 percent of the team???s aces, 68.9 percent of its digs, 48.4 percent of the squad???s blocks, 46.7 percent of its kills and 44.4 percent of UT???s total attacks.
Fowler Making an Impact
Despite the fact that she is just 11 matches into her collegiate career, freshman Nikki Fowler has already made a significant impact in the Lady Vol lineup.
After making her debut against No. 1 Nebraska, the Dallas, Texas, native used her all-around game to help propel UT to a 3-2 victory over No. 21 Utah. When all was said and done, Fowler was near an almost inconceivable quadruple-double with 10 kills, nine assists, seven digs and seven blocks. She also added a pair of service aces for good measure.
She continued her terrific play Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at the Comcast Lady Vol Classic, where she helped UT claim its fourth consecutive title in the tournament with 18 kills, 25 digs and 11 blocks in three matches.
At the State Farm Illini Classic, Sept. 7-8, Fowler really began to come into her own, posting career highs with 17 kills and 42 attacks against Marquette alone.
In SEC action, the 6-2 rookie recorded the first two double-doubles of her young career, with 17 kills and 11 digs versus Alabama and 13 kills and 10 digs in UT???s 3-1 triumph over Mississippi State. She also set the team season-high for attacks with 43 on the road against both Auburn and Georgia.
For the season, Fowler leads the team with 322 attacks, is second on the squad in kills (106), assists (36), aces (13) and points (137.5), third in blocks (34) and fourth in digs (89).
Dig It Up
Sophomore Chloe Goldman has been nothing short of spectacular at the libero position for the Lady Vols this season, as she currently ranks third in the SEC with 5.18 digs per game.
She has led UT in the dig category a total of 10 times this year, missing out in only the initial contest of the campaign against No. 1 Nebraska.
Three times this season, Goldman has topped 25 digs in a single match, including a 26-dig effort versus Mississippi State, 27 in a four-game victory over Marquette and 28 at Georgia.
Her 27 digs versus Marquette at the State Farm Illini Classic in Champaign, Ill., on Sept. 8 marked the most by a Lady Vol in over a year and tied for the 16th-highest single-match total in school history. It also tied for the sixth-most digs in a four-game match in UT history and was just six behind Stephanie Ehler???s record of 33 set against Kentucky on Oct. 5, 1988.
Her best effort of the season, however, came in Athens, Ga., against the Bulldogs, where she dug up 28 attacks, tying Kristy Dobson for the 10th-most digs in a five-game match. The last UT player to have more was former SEC Defensive player of the Year Amy Morris who collected a school-record 42 against Notre Dame on Nov. 26, 2005.
Near the Top of the Class
The 2007 Lady Vol senior class, consisting of Yuliya Stoyanova and Joselyn Johnson, currently ranks in a tie for the second most successful in school history with an 83-28 (.748) overall record in the last three seasons.
The 2005 unit tops the chart, as Kristen Andre, Julie Knytych, Amy Morris, Heather Harrington and Jasmine Fullove finished their careers with a 99-32 (.756) record.
Tied for second on the list is the 2006 group of Sarah Blum, Kelsey Fautsch and Annie Sadowski, which also amassed a .748 winning percentage, with a record of 98-33, during its time at Rocky Top.
Replacing a Legend
This season, Tennessee has faced the unenviable task of replacing the program???s all-time blocks leader Sarah Blum.
In order to match the enormous numbers put up by the two-time All-SEC performer, the Lady Vols have not asked one person to take up the challenge, but instead looked for increased contributions from a number of people.
At the top of that list have been junior Mindy Flynn and sophomore Leah Hinkey. A 6-2 middle blocker, Hinkey has started to put together a stellar sophomore campaign, as she leads the team with 57 blocks, 124 kills and a .340 hitting percentage and is third on the team with 10 aces and 247 attacks.
Flynn, meanwhile, is currently second on the team with 47 blocks and is fifth on the squad with 85 kills. The Louisville, Ky., native ranks fifth on the all-time blocks chart with 1.05 per game, while Hinkey is second at 1.25 per frame.
Hinkey, Goldman and Fowler Impress at State Farm Illini Classic
While sophomore Leah Hinkey was the only Lady Vol to pick up State Farm Illini Classic All-Tournament team honors, she was not the only one to play at a high level at the competition, as fellow classmate Chloe Goldman and freshman Nikki Fowler were equally as impressive.
A day after setting a new career high with 16 kills against Creighton, Hinkey recorded the first double-double of her career with 10 kills and 10 blocks in a 3-1 victory over Marquette. In that same match against the Golden Eagles, Goldman and Fowler set personal bests and team season-highs with 27 digs and 17 kills, respectively.
Trio of Lady Vols Named to Comcast Lady Vol Classic All-Tournament Team
After the University of Tennessee volleyball team claimed its fourth consecutive title at the Comcast Lady Vol Classic, Aug. 31-Sept. 1, it had three players named to the all-tournament team, including the MVP for the weekend???s competition. Sophomore Leah Hinkey was tabbed the Most Valuable Player, while junior Milan Clarke and sophomore Chloe Goldman each garnered all-tournament laurels.
Over the course of the tournament, Hinkey was one of four UT players to eclipse the .300 hitting percentage mark, blasting out a .509 average (32-5-53). She also finished second on the team in both kills (32) and aces (7) and third in blocks (9) and total attacks (53). For her efforts, she was also named Lady Vol Athlete of the Week.
The only player to be named to the all-tournament team in UT???s first two competitions this season, Clarke also had a spectacular tournament on the offensive side of the net, as she tallied a team-best 36 kills and 70 attacks. The Santa Monica, Calif., product registered a stellar .371 hitting percentage (36-10-70) to go along with six digs and six blocks.
Goldman, meanwhile, was the anchor of the Tennessee defense, collecting 4.56 digs per game and finishing with 41 total. She also played a crucial role in the passing game, passing at a .971 clip with only one reception error in 35 attempts.
Clarke, Hinkey Earn Weekly Honors
Junior Milan Clarke and sophomore Leah Hinkey were honored for their play at the AVCA Showcase Aug. 24-25. Clarke was awarded Lady Vol Athlete of the Week laurels after being named to the AVCA Showcase All-Tournament Team, while Hinkey was tabbed Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week following a 13-block performance against No. 21 Utah.
Clarke Named to All-Tournament Team at AVCA Showcase
Following a pair of strong performances against No. 1 Nebraska and No. 21 Utah, junior Milan Clarke was named the Lady Vols??? lone representative on the AVCA Showcase All-Tournament Team. The Santa Monica, Calif., product registered team highs in both kills (24) and attacks (69) on the weekend, while adding nine digs and six blocks as well.
Rob Patrick on the Radio
For the remainder of the 2007 season, University of Tennessee head coach Rob Patrick will be the featured guest on WUTK 90.3 The Rock at 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday night. Patrick will talk about the current state of the UT volleyball program and provide a preview of upcoming matches.
Lady Vols on TV
The University of Tennessee volleyball team is scheduled to make at least more television appearances this season, after playing before a national audience against No. 1 Nebraska in the season opener and taking on Alabama on Sept. 14 on FOX Sports Net South. The contest against the Huskers on Aug. 24 was televised live on CSTV.
The final scheduled television appearance for the Lady Vols will come in Baton Rouge, La., when they take on LSU on the Pelican Sports Network.
New Attendance Records
At the AVCA Showcase in Omaha, Neb., Tennessee played in front of the two largest crowds to ever see a Lady Vol volleyball team in action. For their match against No. 1 Nebraska, 10,158 fans were in attendance, breaking the previous high mark of 7,931 set at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Dec. 15, 2005, when UT took on Washington in the NCAA National Semifinals.
That record did not last for long, however, as 11,076 fans packed into the Qwest Center to watch Tennessee play Utah the next day.
Program Records Win No. 700
With a 3-1 victory over Mississippi State on Sept. 16, the Lady Vol volleyball team collected the 700th win in program history. Since records were first kept in 1973, UT has amassed a 701-460-16 record.
200 Wins ... And Counting
Lady Vol Head Coach Rob Patrick became just the second coach in UT volleyball history to record 200 career wins with a 3-1 victory over Arkansas on Sept. 17, 2006. Patrick is the second-winningest coach in Tennessee history, with a 217-111 record (.663). Bob Bertucci recorded a 229-115 (.662) mark from 1979-86.
The Cleveland, Ohio, native has led a resurgence of volleyball on the UT campus since his arrival in 1997. Six of the eight years prior to that season, UT had recorded losing campaigns, while Patrick has earned a winning record in each of the last nine years, en route to setting the school mark for consecutive seasons above .500. He bested the previous mark of seven (1978-84) with his 17th win of the 2006 campaign.
Movin??? On Up
Since Patrick???s arrival at Rocky Top, the Big Orange has steadily moved up the SEC pecking order. Prior to his tenure, UT ranked in a tie for the eighth-best winning percentage among SEC teams from the first year of SEC volleyball in 1983 to 1996. The Lady Vols won just over 51 percent of their matches during that span and had over 20 wins only four times.
Once Patrick took the helm, however, that trend began to reverse course. From 1997 to date, Tennessee has recorded the third-highest winning percentage behind only Florida and Arkansas, claiming victories 59 percent of the time. UT has also recorded 20+ wins five times.
Looking to Continue the Streak
With an appearance in the NCAA Tournament this season, the Big Orange would tie the school record with four straight berths, previously set from 1981-84 under Bob Bertucci???s watch as head coach.
Tennessee has reached the tournament nine times in its history, including a Final Four appearance in 2005. The Orange and White has also been selected to host the first and second rounds of play in each of the past three years after hosting just three times in the previous 21 seasons.
No Place Like Home
Over the past three seasons, Stokely Athletics Center has provided a strong home-court advantage for the Lady Vols. Since the beginning of 2004, the Big Orange is 42-7 (.857) at home, with a 15-1 mark in 2004, a perfect 13-0 slate in 2005 and a 10-5 record in 2006.
Since Stokely Athletics Center underwent a multi-million dollar renovation prior to the 1998 season, UT has amassed an 95-28 (.772) home record, including four wins in five NCAA Tournament matches that the Orange and White have contested on the court.
UT History in Home Openers
Throughout the years, the University of Tennessee volleyball team has amassed a stellar 25-5 (.833) record in home openers, including a 3-0 triumph over Appalachian State on Aug. 31.
During the Rob Patrick era, the Lady Vols have been even better with a 10-1 (.909) mark in his 10 years at the helm. The lone loss during that span was to LSU on Sept. 21, 2001.
Earlier and Earlier Every Year
With a start date of Aug. 24, the Lady Vol volleyball program now holds the distinction of starting its season earlier than any other women???s athletics team in history at Tennessee. The previous record was tied last year when the Lady Vols opened on Aug. 25 at home versus Virginia in the Comcast Lady Vol Classic. The UT soccer team has also begun its season on Aug. 25 on two different occasions.
