Volleyball Preview: LSU

Saturday, October 23

Baton Rouge, LA

6 PM

University of Tennessee

LSU

October 22, 2021 | Volleyball

Tennessee Notes Watch (Saturday)Live Stats (Saturday)Watch (Sunday)Live Stats (Sunday)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Wrapping up its five-match road swing, the 20th-ranked Tennessee volleyball team heads to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a two-match series against the Tigers Saturday and Sunday at the Maravich Center.

Saturday's first serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET, while Sunday's match gets started at 3 p.m.

BROADCAST INFO
The meeting on Saturday can be streamed on SECN+ or through the WatchESPN app. Lyn Rollins (play-by-play) and Garrett Walvoord (color) will be on the call Saturday night. Sunday's series finale will air on ESPNU with Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Missy Whittemore (color) describing the action.

LAST TIME OUT
Tennessee defeated Georgia on the road in Athens its last time out, winning the match in four sets. Lily Felts, Morgahn Fingall and Breana Runnels all reached double-figures in kills, while Ava Bell posted 10 blocks and nine kills.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
For the third consecutive week, UT finds itself ranked in the top-10 in the NCAA RPI. The Big Orange are ranked No. 6 in the RPI – the highest ranked SEC program. In the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, Tennessee comes in at No. 20.

ANOTHER PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD
For the fourth consecutive week and for the seventh time this season, the Lady Vols had a player earn an SEC weekly honor. Bell picked up SEC Defensive Player of the Week accolades following her outing against Georgia.

The honor was Bell's second of the season after being named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 4. With UT's seventh award of the year, it marks the most for Tennessee since the 2018 season when it also earned seven weekly honors.

DEFENSE LEADS TO OFFENSE
Tennessee leads the SEC and ranks second in the nation in blocks per set at 3.10. UT's block has frustrated opposing attackers all season and has made the transition to offense smoother for the Orange & White.

Helping ease the Lady Vols into the attack has been setter Natalie Hayward. She ranks fourth in the conference and 16th in the nation in assists per set with 10.87. As a team, Tennessee leads the SEC and is 10th in the country at 13.14 assists per set.

As a result, the Lady Vols are first in the Southeastern Conference and third in the nation in kills per set, averaging 14.52.

IMPRESSIVE IN THE MIDDLE
Anchoring UT in the middle is the duo of Bell and Danielle Mahaffey. The pairing both rank in the top-10 in the SEC in blocks per set as Mahaffey is second with 1.44 and Bell seventh at 1.26.

Mahaffey is also ninth in the country in blocks per set this season.

On the offensive end, Bell is hitting .492 this season, which leads the SEC and ranks second in the nation. Mahaffey is fourth in the SEC in hitting at .379.

WINDICATORS
Tennessee is 11-0 when it hits better than .250 this season. UT is also 15-0 this season when it out-digs its opponent. During Eve Rackham Watt's tenure, UT is 47-3 when it hits .250 or better.

Under Rackham Watt, the Lady Vols are 52-5 when they win the second set.

SCOUTING LSU
2021 Record: 8-11 (4-6 SEC)

Series Record: LSU leads, 38-27

Last Meeting: March 25, 2021 – A five-set win for Tennessee.

Key Player/Stat: LSU is coming off a five-set win at South Carolina Wednesday that saw Fran Flory reach win No. 400 as LSU's head coach.

The Tigers are led by former Missouri standout Kylie Deberg who is averaging 4.13 kills per set and Taylor Bannister who averages 2.58 kills per set. Karli Rose and Ella Larkin keep the Tiger attack going as they average 8.91 and 7.50 assists per set, respectively.

Like Tennessee, LSU is strong on the block as they are third in the SEC and 12th nationally with an average of 2.73.

UP NEXT
Tennessee returns home to close out October as it plays host to No. 5 Kentucky on Oct. 27. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena.