University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Pittsburgh
Volleyball Preview: No. 7 Pittsburgh
September 04, 2021 | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Coming off a five-set victory over No. 9 Baylor, the Tennessee volleyball team prepares for another top-10 opponent – No. 7 Pittsburgh. The Lady Vols and Panthers square-off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena.
For fans planning to attend, note that Tennessee's clear-bag policy will be in effect again this season.
Though not required for entry to Thompson-Boling Arena or movement throughout the seating bowl, facial coverings are encouraged for arena patrons. For a full outline of match-day arena policies, click HERE.
BROADCAST INFO
Sunday's match will be available to stream on SEC Network+ or through the ESPN App. Live stats are provided and can be found by visiting the volleyball schedule page on UTsports.com.
DOWN GOES NO. 9 BAYLOR
On Friday night, the Lady Vols played host to No. 9 Baylor, winning the match in five sets. The victory over a top-10 opponent is the first for a Tennessee squad since defeating No. 10 Iowa State on August 25, 2012.
It is also the first win over a top-10 team for an unranked UT team since defeating No. 6 Florida on Sept. 9, 2011.
Lily Felts (17 kills, 15 digs), Morgahn Fingall (16 kills, 23 digs), Natalie Hayward (57 assists, 12 digs) and Breana Runnels (20 kills, 15 digs) all earned double-doubles in Friday night's win.
ATTACKING OPTIONS
In addition to Lily Felts and Morgahn Fingall, Tennessee added another lethal attacking option to its roster in graduate transfer Breana Runnels. In her first weekend as a Lady Vol, Runnels tallied 34 kills - tied for second-most on the team with Felts - averaged 3.78 kills/set and hit .311. The trio of attackers combined for 109 of Tennessee's 142 kills during the season's first weekend. All three players led Tennessee in kills between the three matches, with Runnels and Fingall tying with a team-high 17 kills against Texas Tech. Felts led in kills versus ETSU with 11 and Fingall posted a team-best 16 in the weekend finale against NC State.
SEC RANKINGS
Tennessee ranks in the top-six in the SEC in five separate categories. UT leads the conference in kills per set (15.00) and assists per set (13.43) while ranking third in digs per set (15.79). It is fifth in hitting percentage at .294 and sixth in blocks per set with a mark of 2.43.
WINDICATORS
Tennessee was 10-1 last season when it hit .250 or better, and during Eve Rackham Watt's three seasons on Rocky Top, UT is 39-3 when it reaches the .250 or better mark. Under Rackham Watt, the Lady Vols are 42-4 when they win the second set.
SCOUTING PITTSBURGH
2021 Record: 3-0 Overall
Series Record: UT leads, 9-8
Last Meeting: Sept. 11, 2011 – A four-set win for the Lady Vols.
Key Player/Stat: Seventh-ranked Pittsburgh has been the class of the ACC for the past several seasons, winning three consecutive ACC titles. The Panthers advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals last season and are off to a 3-0 start this season, with a pair of wins over ranked teams.
Kayla Lund leads Pitt in kills per set with 3.17, while Leketor Member-Meneh, Chinaza Ndee and Serena Gray average 2.58 or better kills per set. Kylee Levers and Lexis Akeo split setting duties, with Levers averaging 5.83 assists per set and Akeo averaging 5.00.
UP NEXT
Tennessee hits the road for the first time this season, traveling to Morehead State for a Friday night showdown on Sept. 10.
