University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
3-2
BYU
6-0
BYU Tops #14 Lady Vols In Four
September 01, 2012 | Volleyball
WICHITA, Kan. - The No. 14 University of Tennessee volleyball team was defeated by an unbeaten BYU squad, 3-1 (25-17, 20-25, 21-25, 17-25), on the third day of action at Wichita State's Shocker Volleyball Classic on Saturday night.
With a perfect 3-0 mark at the event, the Cougars (6-0) take home the Shocker Volleyball Classic title, while the Lady Vols move to 3-2 on the year.
"We played a very good, well-coached, athletic and physical BYU team," said head coach Rob Patrick. "We weren't able to sustain our gameplan as well as we wanted to. Our outside hitters did a pretty good job of trying to keep us in it, but we really needed to get a little bit more production from some of our other players and I think that will come as we get back in the gym and keep working on it. I was pleased with our digging. We did some good things there. We just have to get a little bit more efficient running our offense and that will come with a little bit more practice."
Junior outside hitter Kelsey Robinson led the match with 24 kills and 22 digs, marking her fourth straight double-double and third-career 20-kill, 20-dig match. Robinson posted two 20-20 performances in 2011, with the most recent coming against Ole Miss on Oct. 9, 2011. She had 20 kills and 20 digs in that match and had 24 kills and 24 digs against Maryland earlier in the campaign.
Sophomore Tiffany Baker added 15 kills and eight digs, while senior Leslie Cikra totaled 11 spikes. Sophomore setter Mary Pollmiller recorded her second double-double of the season and 10th of her career with 45 assists and 14 digs. Junior libero Ellen Mullins added 15 scoops for the Big Orange. UT out-dug the Cougars, 76-69, in the match.
The Cougars went ahead 2-0 in the opening set, but the Tennessee defense carried the Lady Vols back in the game and took over down the line. UT used a 9-0 run in the set, which included many defensive stuffs, to grab the 25-17 victory in the first set. Robinson and redshirt freshman Mercedes Vaughn both posted three rejections in the frame, while Kayla Jeter and Cikra each added a pair.
BYU opened the second set in similar fashion, using a 4-0 run to go up 6-2 and would later extend its lead to 10-4. The Lady Vols rallied to tie the game at 12 following another block from Robinson and Vaughn, but a late 6-1 run from the Cougars secured the set for the Blue & White by a 25-20 margin. Robinson posted eight kills and six digs in the frame as she inched closer to her fourth consecutive double-double.
After the break, Tennessee took a 9-6 lead on a Jasmine Brown ace, but the Cougars used late runs of 3-0 and 5-0 to regain control of the match and win the crucial third set by a 25-21 margin.
Again, BYU went on top in the fourth set, as it held a 9-3 advantage early. A Bianca Arellano service ace, the fifth of her freshman season, cut the Cougar lead to 11-9. Shortly after, Baker got the Lady Vols within one point with her 15th kill of the match at 14-13. BYU answered with a 6-0 run to go up 20-13 and went on to win the set by a 25-17 margin and take the match in four frames.
Tennessee held BYU's 6-foot-7 hitter Jennifer Hamson - who was averaging just under five kills a set and hitting over .450 coming into the match - to just nine kills and a .116 hitting percentage.
The Big Orange will finish its trip in Wichita on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT when it takes on tournament host, Wichita State University (3-2). The Shockers and Lady Vols will battle for second place in the Shocker Volleyball Classic.
