University of Tennessee Athletics
Friday, September 16
Pittsburgh, PA
7 PM
University of Tennessee
at
Pittsburgh
Volleyball Preview: No. 12 Pittsburgh & No. 5 Ohio State
September 15, 2022 | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In the final weekend before the start of conference play, the Tennessee volleyball team heads north to Pittsburgh as it faces 12th-ranked Pitt and No. 5 Ohio State at Pitt's Fitzgerald Field House.
The Lady Vols play Pitt on Friday at 7 p.m. ET and take on Ohio State at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
BROADCAST INFO
Tennessee's match against Pitt will be available to stream on ACCNX. Kevin DiDomenico (play-by-play) and Amanda Silay (analyst) will be on the call. UT versus Ohio State will not be streamed. Live stats for both matches will be supplied by Pitt, with a link HERE.
LAST TIME OUT
The Orange & White played the first of three consecutive ranked opponents on Tuesday night as No. 21 Western Kentucky came to Knoxville. The Lady Vols fell to the Hilltoppers in three sets.
NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
On Tuesday, senior Morgahn Fingall was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week after her performance in the Rocky Top Classic. Fingall led UT to three sweeps with 47 kills and a .488 hitting percentage during the tournament. The National Player of the Week honor came after being named the SEC Player and Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
SEC LEADER
With 4.39 kills per set through 10 matches, Fingall leads the SEC and ranks 18th in the nation. The Fairfax, Virginia, native is also first in the league in total kills at 158 – a mark that is eighth-best in the NCAA.
LOVIN' IT
Erykah Lovett – a sophomore transfer from Long Beach State – arrived on Rocky Top in January and has made an instant impact on the team. The daughter of a volleyball coach, she is second on the team in kills with 113 and averages 3.14 kills/set.
She is also an anchor for the backline on defense as Lovett is second on the squad in digs at 103 and averages 2.86 digs per set.
REMATCH WEEKEND
Tennessee faced Pitt and Ohio State last season, taking the Panthers to five sets in Knoxville before falling to the then seventh-ranked team in the country. UT and OSU squared off in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2021 hosted by the Buckeyes in Columbus. Ohio State won that meeting in four sets.
WINDICATORS
Under head coach Eve Rackham Watt, the Lady Vols are 62-9 when they win the second set and hold a 6-1 mark after a second set victory this season.
SCOUTING PITTSBURGH
2022 Record: 7-2 Overall
Series Record: Tied 9-9
Last Meeting: Sept. 9, 2021 – A five-set win for Pitt.
Key Player/Stat: Pittsburgh features a trio of strong attacking options in Courtney Buzzerio (2.85 K/S), Valeria Vazquez Gomez (2.79 K/S) and Julianna Dalton (2.55 K/S). Rachel Fairbanks has been the main setter for the Panthers, averaging 6.03 assists per set – but Cam Ennis has also seen action in 32 sets this season and averages 4.06 assists per set.
Pitt ranks third in the ACC in hitting percentage (.279), kills per set (13.33) and blocks per set (2.45).
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
2022 Record: 3-3 Overall
Series Record: OSU leads, 9-1
Last Meeting: Dec. 4, 2021 – A four-set win for the Buckeyes.
Key Player/Stat: Ohio State opened the season with a pair of losses to No. 2 Texas before falling on a neutral court to No. 15 San Diego. Since then, the Buckeyes have defeated No. 3 Louisville on the road, beat No. 15 BYU on a neutral court and took down No. 5 Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
OSU is averaging 14.00 kills per set – a mark that ranks third in the Big Ten and 16th nationally.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols are back home on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. ET as they open SEC play against Missouri.
The Lady Vols play Pitt on Friday at 7 p.m. ET and take on Ohio State at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
BROADCAST INFO
Tennessee's match against Pitt will be available to stream on ACCNX. Kevin DiDomenico (play-by-play) and Amanda Silay (analyst) will be on the call. UT versus Ohio State will not be streamed. Live stats for both matches will be supplied by Pitt, with a link HERE.
LAST TIME OUT
The Orange & White played the first of three consecutive ranked opponents on Tuesday night as No. 21 Western Kentucky came to Knoxville. The Lady Vols fell to the Hilltoppers in three sets.
NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
On Tuesday, senior Morgahn Fingall was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week after her performance in the Rocky Top Classic. Fingall led UT to three sweeps with 47 kills and a .488 hitting percentage during the tournament. The National Player of the Week honor came after being named the SEC Player and Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
SEC LEADER
With 4.39 kills per set through 10 matches, Fingall leads the SEC and ranks 18th in the nation. The Fairfax, Virginia, native is also first in the league in total kills at 158 – a mark that is eighth-best in the NCAA.
LOVIN' IT
Erykah Lovett – a sophomore transfer from Long Beach State – arrived on Rocky Top in January and has made an instant impact on the team. The daughter of a volleyball coach, she is second on the team in kills with 113 and averages 3.14 kills/set.
She is also an anchor for the backline on defense as Lovett is second on the squad in digs at 103 and averages 2.86 digs per set.
REMATCH WEEKEND
Tennessee faced Pitt and Ohio State last season, taking the Panthers to five sets in Knoxville before falling to the then seventh-ranked team in the country. UT and OSU squared off in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2021 hosted by the Buckeyes in Columbus. Ohio State won that meeting in four sets.
WINDICATORS
Under head coach Eve Rackham Watt, the Lady Vols are 62-9 when they win the second set and hold a 6-1 mark after a second set victory this season.
SCOUTING PITTSBURGH
2022 Record: 7-2 Overall
Series Record: Tied 9-9
Last Meeting: Sept. 9, 2021 – A five-set win for Pitt.
Key Player/Stat: Pittsburgh features a trio of strong attacking options in Courtney Buzzerio (2.85 K/S), Valeria Vazquez Gomez (2.79 K/S) and Julianna Dalton (2.55 K/S). Rachel Fairbanks has been the main setter for the Panthers, averaging 6.03 assists per set – but Cam Ennis has also seen action in 32 sets this season and averages 4.06 assists per set.
Pitt ranks third in the ACC in hitting percentage (.279), kills per set (13.33) and blocks per set (2.45).
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
2022 Record: 3-3 Overall
Series Record: OSU leads, 9-1
Last Meeting: Dec. 4, 2021 – A four-set win for the Buckeyes.
Key Player/Stat: Ohio State opened the season with a pair of losses to No. 2 Texas before falling on a neutral court to No. 15 San Diego. Since then, the Buckeyes have defeated No. 3 Louisville on the road, beat No. 15 BYU on a neutral court and took down No. 5 Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
OSU is averaging 14.00 kills per set – a mark that ranks third in the Big Ten and 16th nationally.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols are back home on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. ET as they open SEC play against Missouri.
Players Mentioned
RS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballEverything Orange S3 | Chelsea Sutton (Volleyball)
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