University of Tennessee Athletics
Sunday, October 12
Oxford, Miss.
3 p.m. ET
University of Tennessee
at
Ole Miss
Match Preview: #17 Lady Vols Cap Three-Game Road Stretch Against Ole Miss
October 11, 2025 | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The #17 Tennessee volleyball program plays its final of three road matches on Sunday, taking on the Ole Miss Rebels at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center. First serve for the match is slated for 3:00 p.m. ET, and the match will be streamed on SEC Network+.
The Lady Vols came up just short in their last match, falling at #2 Texas in five sets. The marathon match went back and forth all evening, with both teams splitting the first two sets. Texas would take an quick 5-0 lead in the fifth frame, and would hold the lead to get the victory. Hayden Kubik and Caroline Kerr both led the way, as the duo each had double-double outings. Kubik led the team once again with 15 kills, adding 15 digs for her second consecutive double-double, and third of conference play. Kerr finished with her team-leading sixth double-double of the season, with 36 assists and 10 digs for her fourth double-double to begin SEC action. As a team, Tennessee finished with 58 kills on a .262 hitting percentage, with Mackenzie Plante and Paityn Chapman each finishing ith 14 and 13 kills respectively. On the defensive side, Gülce Güçtekin led the team with 16 digs, while Zoë Humphrey contributed seven blocks to the team's 12.5 total in the match.
Ole Miss comes into the match with a record of 9-7. In its last match, Ole Miss lost a close one on the road to rival Mississippi State. Ole Miss has 778 kills as a team, the fourth-most in the SEC. The team is led in kills by Gabi Placide, who 281 on the season for an average of 4.61 per set. Senior setter Mokihana Tufono leads the SEC in assists at 632, ranking third in the conference at 10.36 assists per set. Libero Cammy Niesen recently broke the program's all-time digs record, doing so in their match on last Sunday against Auburn. Niesen comes into this contest ranking second in the conference in both digs (262) and digs per set (4.30). Tennessee leads the all-time series against Ole Miss with a record of 50-12, but will look to get back in the win column after losing last year's contest with the Rebels 3-1 in Oxford.
The Lady Vols' offensive production this season continues to impress. One of the top offensive teams in the nation, The Lady Vols enter the match with a .327 hitting percentage, leading the SEC and ranking second in Division I. The production offensively has been a full team effort through 13 games, with six players having 40 or more kills. Kubik holds the team lead for kills, with 138 on the season. The senior hitter has 10 or more kills in 10 of her last 11 contests. Next is Chapman at 120 kills and Chelsea Sutton with 91 kills. Five players have a hitting percentage over .300 on the campaign. Leading the team is Sutton at .429, the second-best percentage in the conference and 14th in Division I. Joining Sutton in the top 10 of the conference is Chapman who has a .351 hitting percentage, the ninth-best mark in the SEC.
The Big Orange defense has also been a bright spot in 2025. Tennessee is holding opponents to a .160 hitting percentage this season. That ranks second in the conference and top-20 in the nation. Tennessee has been strong at the net, with five players totaling over 20 blocks. Chelsea Sutton leads the group with 60 blocks this season, followed by redshirt freshman Zoë Humphrey with 43. The Lady Vols floor defense has been a big part of their success as well. As a team, Tennessee is averaging 12.82 digs per set, with transfer libero Gülce Güçtekin leading the pack with 191 digs.
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The Lady Vols came up just short in their last match, falling at #2 Texas in five sets. The marathon match went back and forth all evening, with both teams splitting the first two sets. Texas would take an quick 5-0 lead in the fifth frame, and would hold the lead to get the victory. Hayden Kubik and Caroline Kerr both led the way, as the duo each had double-double outings. Kubik led the team once again with 15 kills, adding 15 digs for her second consecutive double-double, and third of conference play. Kerr finished with her team-leading sixth double-double of the season, with 36 assists and 10 digs for her fourth double-double to begin SEC action. As a team, Tennessee finished with 58 kills on a .262 hitting percentage, with Mackenzie Plante and Paityn Chapman each finishing ith 14 and 13 kills respectively. On the defensive side, Gülce Güçtekin led the team with 16 digs, while Zoë Humphrey contributed seven blocks to the team's 12.5 total in the match.
Ole Miss comes into the match with a record of 9-7. In its last match, Ole Miss lost a close one on the road to rival Mississippi State. Ole Miss has 778 kills as a team, the fourth-most in the SEC. The team is led in kills by Gabi Placide, who 281 on the season for an average of 4.61 per set. Senior setter Mokihana Tufono leads the SEC in assists at 632, ranking third in the conference at 10.36 assists per set. Libero Cammy Niesen recently broke the program's all-time digs record, doing so in their match on last Sunday against Auburn. Niesen comes into this contest ranking second in the conference in both digs (262) and digs per set (4.30). Tennessee leads the all-time series against Ole Miss with a record of 50-12, but will look to get back in the win column after losing last year's contest with the Rebels 3-1 in Oxford.
The Lady Vols' offensive production this season continues to impress. One of the top offensive teams in the nation, The Lady Vols enter the match with a .327 hitting percentage, leading the SEC and ranking second in Division I. The production offensively has been a full team effort through 13 games, with six players having 40 or more kills. Kubik holds the team lead for kills, with 138 on the season. The senior hitter has 10 or more kills in 10 of her last 11 contests. Next is Chapman at 120 kills and Chelsea Sutton with 91 kills. Five players have a hitting percentage over .300 on the campaign. Leading the team is Sutton at .429, the second-best percentage in the conference and 14th in Division I. Joining Sutton in the top 10 of the conference is Chapman who has a .351 hitting percentage, the ninth-best mark in the SEC.
The Big Orange defense has also been a bright spot in 2025. Tennessee is holding opponents to a .160 hitting percentage this season. That ranks second in the conference and top-20 in the nation. Tennessee has been strong at the net, with five players totaling over 20 blocks. Chelsea Sutton leads the group with 60 blocks this season, followed by redshirt freshman Zoë Humphrey with 43. The Lady Vols floor defense has been a big part of their success as well. As a team, Tennessee is averaging 12.82 digs per set, with transfer libero Gülce Güçtekin leading the pack with 191 digs.
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Players Mentioned
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