University of Tennessee Athletics
Tuesday, September 9
Knoxville
6:30 p.m.
University of Tennessee
vs
Georgia Tech
Match Preview: Lady Vols Host Georgia Tech in Inaugural Showdown at the Net
September 08, 2025 | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Volleyball continues its home stand on Tuesday, as they host Georgia Tech in a rematch of last year's NCAA Tournament First Round Match. The match will kickoff the inaugural 'Showdown at the Net', an event that features matches against programs from the SEC and ACC.
First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. at Food City Center and will be televised nationally on the SEC Network. The Lady Vols and the Yellow Jackets recently met last season in the NCAA tournament, with the back and forth match going to a full five sets. Last year's meeting saw 15 lead changes and 39 tied scores, with Georgia Tech edging out the victory over Tennessee.
Doors will open one hour before the match, and fans can purchase tickets on AllVols.com. Parking is available on the top level of G-5/G-30 garage located at the corner of Lake Loudoun and Phillip Fulmer Way, directly across the street from the arena. Gate B will be the entrance for general fans, while students and player guests are encouraged to use Gate C. The clear bag policy is in effect for all matches. Additional items to know before coming out for a competition can be found on the Volleyball Gameday Page.
Offense Led By Full Team Effort
First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. at Food City Center and will be televised nationally on the SEC Network. The Lady Vols and the Yellow Jackets recently met last season in the NCAA tournament, with the back and forth match going to a full five sets. Last year's meeting saw 15 lead changes and 39 tied scores, with Georgia Tech edging out the victory over Tennessee.
Doors will open one hour before the match, and fans can purchase tickets on AllVols.com. Parking is available on the top level of G-5/G-30 garage located at the corner of Lake Loudoun and Phillip Fulmer Way, directly across the street from the arena. Gate B will be the entrance for general fans, while students and player guests are encouraged to use Gate C. The clear bag policy is in effect for all matches. Additional items to know before coming out for a competition can be found on the Volleyball Gameday Page.
Offense Led By Full Team Effort
The Lady Vol Offense has been a bright spot early on in the campaign. The production offensively has been a full team effort so far through five games, with eight players having 20 or more kills. Tennessee has also been hitting efficiently, with a .330 hitting percentage in the early part of the season. The leader in the clubhouse is Paityn Chapman, who has 50 kills for the Lady Vols and is averaging 3.85 kills per set. Mackenzie Plante checks in next with 33 kills, while Hayden Kubik is close behind with 28. Five players have a hitting percentage over .300 to start the campaign, with Middle Blocker Zoë Humphrey leading the team early on at .576. Sophomore Chelsea Sutton has a .458 hitting percentage, with Chapman over the .400-mark at .419. Five Lady Vols have had double-digit kill performances, with Chapman leading the charge with three. Kubik has two 10+ kill efforts so far this season, setting a new career-high against Samford with 18.
Defense Fuels Early Season Success
Defense Fuels Early Season Success
The Big Orange defense has also been a bright spot early on in 2025. Tennessee is holding opponents to a .110 hitting percentage through its first five games. Tennessee has been strong at the net, with four players totaling over 10 blocks through five games. Chelsea Sutton leads the group with 19 blocks in the early part of the season, followed by redshirt freshman Zoë Humphrey. Sydney Jones and Kiki Granberry are next on the team with 11 and 10 respectively. As a collective at the net, Tennessee is averaging 2.88 blocks per set. Through its first five games, the Lady Vols have allowed 154 kills for an average of 9.06 kills per set. As a team, Tennessee is averaging 12.65 digs per set, with transfer libero Gülce Güçtekin leading the pack with 73 digs.
Another Record-Setting in Knoxville
Another Record-Setting in Knoxville
For the second consecutive year, The Lady Vols set an attendance record in their season-opening game. A crowd of 7,654 were in attendance for Tennessee's opener agasint USF on Aug. 31. The previous program record for attendance came in last season's opener against Penn State, with 6,193Â fans at Food City Center. Five of the top six largest crowds came during the 2024 season. The Big Orange set a program record for total attendance and average attendance. Tennessee has seen four of its seven largest crowds in program history to open the season. Though its first four home games this season, the Lady Vols are averaging over 5,000 in attendance to start the year.
Who's The Next Great Tennessee Outside Under Rackham Watt
Heading into the 2025 season, the team looks to replace the production of AVCA Second Team All-American Nina Cajic. Cajic took up the mantle of the top hitter for the team in 2024, finishing the season with 4448 kills. Cajic ranked 38th nationally and eighth in the SEC in kills per set at 4.31, while ranking 29th and seventh in points per set at 4.93. Cajic finished with double-digit kills in all but two matches, including five 20+ kill performances. Head coach Eve Rackham Watt and staff have had success offensively since arriving on Rocky Top, ranking in the top 15 nationally in kills per set in three out of her seven seasons at the helm. Several returners and newcomers look to factor into the rotation for the Lady Vols as they head into the campaign. Returners like Paityn Chapman, Hayden Kubik and Kiki Granberry return after string offensive season in 2024, while transfers Brynn Williams (2024 All-Big 12 selection), Starr Williams (2024 All-Conference USA selection), and Sydney Jones (American Conference Freshman of the Year). Look to factor into the rotation as well.
Who's The Next Great Tennessee Outside Under Rackham Watt
Heading into the 2025 season, the team looks to replace the production of AVCA Second Team All-American Nina Cajic. Cajic took up the mantle of the top hitter for the team in 2024, finishing the season with 4448 kills. Cajic ranked 38th nationally and eighth in the SEC in kills per set at 4.31, while ranking 29th and seventh in points per set at 4.93. Cajic finished with double-digit kills in all but two matches, including five 20+ kill performances. Head coach Eve Rackham Watt and staff have had success offensively since arriving on Rocky Top, ranking in the top 15 nationally in kills per set in three out of her seven seasons at the helm. Several returners and newcomers look to factor into the rotation for the Lady Vols as they head into the campaign. Returners like Paityn Chapman, Hayden Kubik and Kiki Granberry return after string offensive season in 2024, while transfers Brynn Williams (2024 All-Big 12 selection), Starr Williams (2024 All-Conference USA selection), and Sydney Jones (American Conference Freshman of the Year). Look to factor into the rotation as well.
Players Mentioned
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