University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
17-6,9-4SEC
Ole Miss
17-6,6-6SEC
No. 22 Tennessee Earns 12th Sweep of the Season, Defeats Ole Miss in Three
November 07, 2021 | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Picking up its 12th sweep of the season, the 22nd-ranked Tennessee volleyball team swept Ole Miss aside Sunday afternoon as it won in three sets (25-17, 26-24, 25-20) inside Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vols (17-6, 9-4 SEC) hit a season-high .400 in the victory and saw four players with 10-plus attacks hit over .380 individually. It is the first time since Nov. 10, 2019, UT has hit .400 or better in a match.
With the win, Tennessee snaps Ole Miss' (17-6, 6-6 SEC) four-match win streak.
Breana Runnels and Morgahn Fingall both scored double-digit kills with Runnels notching a team-high 14 and Fingall posting 12. Fingall hit .440 on 25 attacks, while Runnels took 36 swings and hit .278.
Runnels finished the match with 11 digs as she earned her eighth double-double of the year.
In the middle, Ava Bell and Danielle Mahaffey hit .583 and .500, respectively. Bell put away nine kills on 12 swings with Mahaffey scoring six kills off 12 swings. Mahaffey led UT in blocks as she posted three in the win.
Lily Felts rounded out the group as she hit .381 with eight kills. The Knoxville native finished the match with five digs, three assists and a block.
Natalie Hayward kept Tennessee's attackers in rhythm all afternoon as she dished out 44 assists. The senior filled out her final stat line with four kills, a service ace, nine digs and a block.
The Lady Vols started the match red-hot as they hit .447 in the opening set. Runnels led the charge with three kills on a .417 hitting percentage as UT cruised to a 25-17 first set win.
Tennessee continued to hit well in the second set as it posted a .341 hitting percentage. Bell, Felts and Runnels all put away three kills, while Mahaffey and Hayward scored two apiece as the Lady Vols won, 26-24.
However, Lauren Thompson and the Rebels were able to keep the set close as Thompson scored seven of the Rebel's 17 kills in the frame.
In the third, UT closed out Ole Miss as it hit .417 en route to a 25-20 third set victory. Fingall and Runnels each tallied five kills in the set, with Mahaffey posting four.
TENNESSEE STAT LEADERS
Kills – Breana Runnels (14)
Assists – Natalie Hayward (44)
Digs – Madison Bryant (17)
Blocks – Danielle Mahaffey (3)
UP NEXT
Tennessee will follow Ole Miss back to the Magnolia State as the Lady Vols prepare for a two-match series Nov. 13 and 14 in Starkville, Mississippi, against Mississippi State. Both matches are scheduled for 2 p.m. ET and can be streamed on SECN+.
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