University of Tennessee Athletics
Saturday, October 23
Baton Rouge, LA
6 PM
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16-3,8-1SEC
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LSU
8-12,4-7SEC
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Tennessee
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LSU
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No. 20 Tennessee Battles LSU in Five-Set Win
October 23, 2021 | Volleyball
BATON ROUGE, La. – In the opening match of a two-match series, the 20th-ranked Tennessee volleyball team battled LSU in a five-set win (25-14, 23-25, 25-19, 22-25, 15-13) Saturday night at the Maravich Center.
Tennessee (16-3, 8-1 SEC) hit .256 with 62 kills, 58 assists, 11 service aces, 63 digs and 12 total blocks. LSU (8-12, 4-7 SEC) hit .195 and put away 58 kills, 51 assists, six aces, 69 digs and six blocks. Tennessee's 11 service aces are a season-high.
UT also had four players pick up double-digit kills.
Breana Runnels scored a season-high 21 kills in the win and finished with a double-double as she picked up 14 digs. It is Runnels' sixth double-double of the season. The Bakersfield, California, native also dropped in a pair of service aces in the opening set.
Lily Felts earned her 23rd career double-double Saturday night with 10 kills and 11 digs. Felts is now tied with Yuliya Stoyanova for eighth all-time in Tennessee history in double-doubles.
Danielle Mahaffey was key in the middle for the Lady Vols as she put away 13 kills and posted a team-leading seven total blocks.
Morgahn Fingall rounded out the double-digit kill group as she earned 11. Fingall also came away with seven digs, five blocks and a service ace.
Natalie Hayward kept the offense running all night with 48 assists. She also scored a team-high four aces and finished with 13 digs.
Tennessee won the opening set 25-14 behind a .367 team hitting percentage. Runnels tallied five kills to lead the charge, with Fingall just behind with four. Mahaffey and Felts finished up with three and two kills, respectively.
LSU responded in the second with a 25-23 win. Four service aces helped carry the Tigers in the second as UT finished with 15 kills to LSU's 13.
The back-and-forth continued with a Lady Vol 25-19 third set win. Runnels stepped up with six kills, while Felts and Mahaffey closed out with three and two kills. Tennessee hit .320 in the third and used a pair of service aces and five blocks to knock off LSU.
In the fourth, LSU put away 16 kills to Tennessee's 11 as the Tigers won the set, 25-22.
The fifth and final set saw UT close out LSU, 15-13. Runnels again led the attack for the Lady Vols with six kills in the fifth set. Mahaffey put away two kills, while Felts, Fingall and Hayward all scored one kill each.
Hayward tallied two of her four aces in the final frame.
STAT LEADERS
Kills – Breana Runnels (21)
Assists – Natalie Hayward (48)
Digs – Madison Bryant (14), Breana Runnels (14)
Blocks – Danielle Mahaffey (7)
UP NEXT
Tennessee and LSU return to the court Sunday to close out the series at 3 p.m. ET. The match can be seen on ESPNU.
Tennessee (16-3, 8-1 SEC) hit .256 with 62 kills, 58 assists, 11 service aces, 63 digs and 12 total blocks. LSU (8-12, 4-7 SEC) hit .195 and put away 58 kills, 51 assists, six aces, 69 digs and six blocks. Tennessee's 11 service aces are a season-high.
UT also had four players pick up double-digit kills.
Breana Runnels scored a season-high 21 kills in the win and finished with a double-double as she picked up 14 digs. It is Runnels' sixth double-double of the season. The Bakersfield, California, native also dropped in a pair of service aces in the opening set.
Lily Felts earned her 23rd career double-double Saturday night with 10 kills and 11 digs. Felts is now tied with Yuliya Stoyanova for eighth all-time in Tennessee history in double-doubles.
Danielle Mahaffey was key in the middle for the Lady Vols as she put away 13 kills and posted a team-leading seven total blocks.
Morgahn Fingall rounded out the double-digit kill group as she earned 11. Fingall also came away with seven digs, five blocks and a service ace.
Natalie Hayward kept the offense running all night with 48 assists. She also scored a team-high four aces and finished with 13 digs.
Tennessee won the opening set 25-14 behind a .367 team hitting percentage. Runnels tallied five kills to lead the charge, with Fingall just behind with four. Mahaffey and Felts finished up with three and two kills, respectively.
LSU responded in the second with a 25-23 win. Four service aces helped carry the Tigers in the second as UT finished with 15 kills to LSU's 13.
The back-and-forth continued with a Lady Vol 25-19 third set win. Runnels stepped up with six kills, while Felts and Mahaffey closed out with three and two kills. Tennessee hit .320 in the third and used a pair of service aces and five blocks to knock off LSU.
In the fourth, LSU put away 16 kills to Tennessee's 11 as the Tigers won the set, 25-22.
The fifth and final set saw UT close out LSU, 15-13. Runnels again led the attack for the Lady Vols with six kills in the fifth set. Mahaffey put away two kills, while Felts, Fingall and Hayward all scored one kill each.
Hayward tallied two of her four aces in the final frame.
STAT LEADERS
Kills – Breana Runnels (21)
Assists – Natalie Hayward (48)
Digs – Madison Bryant (14), Breana Runnels (14)
Blocks – Danielle Mahaffey (7)
UP NEXT
Tennessee and LSU return to the court Sunday to close out the series at 3 p.m. ET. The match can be seen on ESPNU.
Team Stats
UT
LSU
Kills
63
58
Errors
21
26
Attempts
161
158
Hitting %
.261
.203
Points
86
69.5
Assists
58
51
Aces
11
6
Blocks
12
5.5
Game Leaders
Kills
21
Aces
2
Blocks
0
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
7
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
DS/L
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballRS
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballEverything Orange S3 | Chelsea Sutton (Volleyball)
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