VB Preview: #12 Lady Vols Host #10 Arkansas

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Looking to rebound from just their second loss of the season, the 12th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols have a chance to earn a statement win against No. 10 Arkansas at Food City Center on Friday night.

First serve for the contest will be at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the match are half price in honor of 10/20 day. Fans can purchase their tickets at AllVols.com. For fans unable to attend the game, the match will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

The Big Orange (16-2, 7-1 SEC) is enjoying one of the best seasons in program history. Tennessee has swept 12 opponents on the year and ranks inside the top five nationally in kills per set (2nd), assists per set (3rd) and hitting percentage (4th). UT owns three top-25 victories on the year. A win Friday would mark the Lady Vols' first top-10 victory since beating No. 9 Baylor on Sept. 3, 2021.

TICKETING PROCEDURE
Tickets to all Tennessee Athletics events are digital and can be accessed through a mobile device to improve security and reduce the risk of ticket fraud as well as make the process more convenient for fans.

Fans will gain admission into all venues via a unique QR code which will be scanned directly from a mobile device. For quick and easy entry into Tennessee Athletics venues, fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app from the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android).

Digital tickets can be managed via a mobile device or desktop web browser, but a mobile device is required for venue access on matchdays.

Your mobile device is the ticket on gameday. All valid digital tickets will display a moving barcode or a hold near reader (tap-and-go) icon. PLEASE NOTE: SCREENSHOTS OF TICKETS WILL NOT SCAN AT THE GATE AND WILL NOT ALLOW ENTRY!

BIG ORANGE ATTACK AMONG NATION'S ELITE GROUPS
Tennessee's attack has been stellar this season, and it's the primary reason for the Lady Vols opening the year 16-2. UT currently ranks second nationally in kills per set with 14.88, third in assists per set (13.60) and fourth in hitting percentage (.309). The Lady Vols lead the SEC in all three categories.

FINGALL CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARD
One of the top attackers in program history, right side Morgahn Fingall continues to climb UT's career kills list. Fingall now boasts 1,429 kills to rank eighth in UT history. She's 25 away from moving into seventh. For the year, her 4.23 kills per set are 20th overall and lead the SEC.

LADY VOLS IN THE RANKINGS
For the first time since 2005, Tennessee cracked the top 10 in the AVCA polls earlier this season. It was the program's highest ranking since being sixth following UT's Final Four run in 2005. The Big Orange currently ranks 12th.

LADY VOLS IN THE SEC WEEKLY HONORS
Tennessee's play this season hasn't gone unrecognized. With many impressive outings from the Lady Vols, the SEC has honored UT players a combined 13 times in eight weeks. Here's the breakdown of each honor won:

4x Freshman of the Week
3x Player of the Week
2x Offensive Player of the Week
2x Defensive Player of the Week
2x Setter of the Week

BREAK OUT THE BROOMS
So far this year, the Lady Vols boast 12 sweeps in 18 matches. Over the last three seasons, UT has swept 36 opponents, including 24 at home. The Big Orange has swept eight of its last 11 opponents and went on a streak of 18 straight set wins between Loyola (4th set) and Mississippi State (2nd set).

SIDEOUT SUCCESS KEY FACTOR FOR UT EACH MATCH
One element of Tennessee's impressive season that hasn't been touched on much has been the Big Orange winning the battle on sideouts. The Lady Vols are scoring 68 percent of the time when opponents serve, while scoring on 48 percent of the time when UT serves. Tennessee has recorded a sideout percentage of 70 percent or better in 30 sets this year, while holding foes to a sideout percentage of less than 50 percent in 26 sets.

DON'T LET 'EM GET HOT
Winning the first set is crucial to winning the match, and the Lady Vols are 15-0 when taking the opening frame this year. If you don't get UT in the first set, good luck, because it doesn't get easier. By the third set, Tennessee is outscoring opponents 439-321 (+118 points). That's compared to 437-339 (+98 points) in the first frame and 443-336 (+107 points) in the second set.

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Players Mentioned

Morgahn Fingall

University of Tennessee Athletics