University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
7-7
Montana State
3-9
UT Downs Montana State in Straight Sets
September 20, 2014 | Volleyball
Sept. 20, 2014
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Behind 11 kills from Kanisha Jimenez and nine more from Kelsey Bawcombe, Tennessee surged past Montana State in straight sets (25-17, 25-15, 25-23) to close out the DISH Lady Vol Classic. The win was the second of the day for the Lady Vols and their first sweep since they topped Tennessee Tech 3-0 in the season opener.
"I was pleased with our play tonight," said UT head coach Rob Patrick. "We're starting to settle into a lineup and it's starting to come together. People are starting to get comfortable in their roles and in their different positions and it showed today. We still have some things to work on but I was very happy overall with how we got better this weekend."
Freshman outside hitter Bawcombe was named to the All-Tournament team at the conclusion of the match. Including the nine she hammered home on Saturday night, Bawcombe finished the tournament with 35 total blocks. In addition, the true freshman scooped up 31 digs and notched 10 total blocks. She achieved her first career double-double earlier in the day, smashing 17 kills to go along with 13 digs in a 3-1 win over Mercer.
Jimenez, meanwhile, registered her team-high 11 kills at a stellar .450 clip. She would conclude the weekend with 43 kills in four matches with an attack percentage of .274.
Set one was tight for much of the early going as the two teams battled through seven total ties through the first 15 points. The Bobcats (3-9) held slim leads for much that initial sequence, but once UT (7-7) regained the lead at 15-14 on a Bawcombe kill, it would not look back. That attack opened up a 7-1 run for the Lady Vols on their way to a 25-17 first set victory. Bawcombe had four kills in the frame, bested only by Shealyn Kolosky's set-high five. As a team, UT hit .375 for the set.
It was all Tennessee in the second frame as the Lady Vols raced out to a quick 9-3 advantage. Jimenez and Ashley Mariani each killed a pair during the spurt. MSU would battle all the way back to within one at 11-10, but again UT found the gas pedal in reeling off eight of the next ten points. Another kill from Jimenez made the score 20-14 in favor of the home team and the Lady Vols would have little trouble closing the game from there.
The tightest game of the match, the third set featured nine ties and six lead changes. Montana State controlled the frame for the most of the early portion, even building a lead by as many as six at 17-11. A 7-1 run from UT promptly erased that deficit, however, and a couple traded points found the set tied at 20-20. Fighting to stave off the sweep, MSU managed two unanswered points to go ahead 22-20, but a pair of kills from Jimenez bookending a Bobcat attack error put UT in front 23-22. An MSU kill again leveled the score, but Bawcombe sealed the deal with back-to-back kills for UT's seventh victory on the year.
Tennessee closes out the non-conference portion of the schedule at 7-7. SEC play now awaits the Lady Vols, who will travel to Arkansas and Missouri next week. UT meets the Razorbacks on Friday at 8 p.m. ET before facing the Tigers on Sunday at 12 p.m. Friday's match will be broadcast on SEC Network + and Sunday's will be carried by the SEC Network.
| 2014 DISH Lady Vol Classic All-Tournament Team | |||
| Player | Pos. | Year | School |
| Lauren Wright* | MB/RS | SR | Memphis |
| Oluchi Agomuo | OH | FR | Memphis |
| Veronica Zimmerman | S | RS JR | Memphis |
| Aubrey Marsellis | S | JR | Austin Peay |
| Jada Stotts | OH | SR | Austin Peay |
| Kelsey Bawcombe | OH | FR | TENNESSEE |
| Kennadie Clute | OH | SO | Montana State |
| * Tournament MVP | |||
