University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
8-18, 1-11SEC
Missouri
15-12, 6-6SEC
Turner, Mariani Impress in Loss to Mizzou
November 07, 2014 | Volleyball
Nov. 7, 2014 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Hot-hitting nights from Kendra Turner and Ashley Mariani were not enough for Tennessee as it fell, 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 20-25, 21-25), to defending SEC champion Missouri Friday night at Thompson-Boling Arena. The loss marked the first time this season that UT has been defeated following a victory in the first set.
For the third straight match, the duo of Turner and Mariani produced over sixty percent of Tennessee's team kills. Turner became the first Lady Vol this season to post a match of 20 or more kills, finishing with a career-high 23 on a strong .308 attack percentage. Meanwhile, Mariani's 18 kills and 13 digs were good enough for her first double-double of the season. The sophomore even flirted with the triple-double, securing six block assists along the way.
Mariani's 18 kills are a new career-best, topping the 15 she registered earlier this season against Cleveland State.
"[Kendra and Ashley] have been playing very, very well," said Lady Vol head coach Rob Patrick. "One of the things we've needed more and more as the season has gone on is more kills. Those two have been doing a nice job of providing us kills and not making too many errors. That combination is something we've been missing."
The strong performance at the net from Turner and Mariani helped UT (8-18, 1-11 SEC) post a .213 hitting efficiency for the match -- just the third time in SEC play that the Lady Vols have hit better than .200. Tennessee's 55 team kills were its second-most recorded this season. Missouri (15-12, 6-6 SEC) finished the match hitting .259 with 57 team kills.
Lexi Dempsey came away with a match-high 46 assists -- a new season-high and the sixth time this season that she has finished with 40+ helpers.
UT got off to a great start as its offensive efficiency lifted it to a 25-20 win in a back-and-forth set one. Propelled by stellar hitting performances from Mariani and Turner, the Lady Vols posted 18 kills in the opening frame at a .390 clip. Thirteen of those kills came from the duo as they finished with seven and six kills, respectively.
That opening set featured 10 ties and four lead changes as neither team could gain any separation until late in the frame. Tennessee gained some early control in taking an 11-8 lead after kills from Raina Hembry and Turner, but it was short-lived as Mizzou rattled off five straight points to take the lead 13-11. The set stayed close until another pair of kills from Hembry and Turner gave the Lady Vols a 19-17 lead -- one it wouldn't relinquish. Mariani pummeled her seventh kill of the frame in the closing sequence and Turner added the finishing touches to give UT the 25-20 first tally.
Tennessee couldn't find the same offensive rhythm in set two, managing only a .027 attack percentage and eight kills. Five total team blocks, including a trio of block assists from Hembry and Mariani kept the Lady Vols in the set the whole way, but Missouri never trailed as it pieced together a 25-19 win.
Mizzou maintained the momentum into the third set, leading by as many as 10 at 19-9. UT battled back in the closing stages, outscoring the Tigers 11-6 over the final sequence, but the visitors hung on for the 25-20 victory. Mariani and Turner each provided five kills in the frame. Mizzou swung .316 in set three compared to .250 for Tennessee.
Facing a do-or-die fourth frame, Tennessee enjoyed the lead for the majority of the set before a 7-1 run from the visitors catapulted them in front by a 17-14 count. Three straight UT points, capped by a Kelsey Bawcombe kill, promptly leveled things at 17-17, but Mizzou regained the momentum with two straight points. Twice the Lady Vols inched to within a point, but with the Tigers leading 20-19, UT surrendered a 4-0 spurt that saw Mizzou seal the match with a 25-21 win.
A three-match road trip now awaits the Lady Vols, beginning Sunday at Auburn. That match, slated for a 2:30 p.m. first serve, will streamed live online through SEC Network +.
