University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
6-0
UNC Greensboro
3-2
Volleyball Improves to 6-0 to Start Year
September 04, 2015 | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Volunteers claimed a 3-0 ( 25-13, 25-23, 25-15) victory over UNCG in the nightcap Friday of the Dish Tennessee Volleyball Classic at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tennessee extended its perfect start the season and now sits at 6-0, their best start to a year since going 6-0 to start 2010.
Tennessee will continue play Saturday with a pair of matches. The Volunteers play North Florida (4-1) at 10 a.m. before closing the tournament against Eastern Kentucky (0-5) at 7 p.m.
Freshman Erica Treiber led the way with a career high 11 kills and three blocks while junior Raina Hembry recorded eight kills. Senior Lexi Dempsey finished 30 assists while Bridgette Villano notched 18 digs to lead the Vols' defense.
"Our front row players, especially our middle hitters Erica and Raina, did a fantastic job offensively and getting up and challenging their middles, but also finding their middles in transition and slowing them down," Tennessee head coach Rob Patrick said.
Tennessee held the Spartans to a .075 hitting percentage for the match including a -.020 mark in the final set. The Vols finished with six blocks and 52 digs in the winning effort.
UNCG dropped to 3-2 on the year with the loss.
Junior Raina Hembry led the Volunteers past the Spartans in the first set with five kills to lead all players. Treiber chipped in with four of her own, helping Tennessee take the set 25-13. The Vols ended the set on a 12-3 run, including a 7-1 spurt with the score at 13-10. Tennessee was able to jump out to the early lead thanks to a .438 hitting percentage.
The second set was a closely contested affair as neither team took more than a two-point lead throughout the frame. Treiber added five more kills to tie her career high after two sets. With the score tied at 23 in the second set, Megan Hatcher checked into the match for the first time and supplied an ace. After a Spartan timeout Lexi Dempsey and Raina Hembry combined on a block to put the Vols up two sets to none.
The Vols opened the third set on a 7-1 run as sophomore Kanisha Jimenez recorded her third kill of the match during the opening run. The Spartans were never able to get closer than four as the Volunteers pulled away with a 10-4 run to end the match.
"I was really proud of the team and the focus that we had," Patrick said. "We played a team that was a little different than the team's we've played so far this season. It was going to be a challenge for us to find their middle hitters and try and stop them. They're very athletic."
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