After coming painfully close to their first conference win last weekend, the Tennessee volleyball team looks to slow down a high-powered Ole Miss offense at home and finally get in the SEC win column.
The Lady Vols (7-15, 0-8 SEC) fell just short of beating Mississippi State last Friday night, and they have used their practice time this week to focus on getting over that hump and learning how to close out matches.
“What we really need to work on is getting more organized and comfortable on the court,” sophomore Jamie Lea said. “We also need to limit our errors, too many times we have runs of five errors at a time. We have to try and limit that to one or two.”
Finishing matches is easier said than done, though, as there are no off weeks in the SEC. The Rebels (18-4, 4-4) come in boasting one of the conference’s most prolific offenses, ranking in the top-3 in the SEC in hitting percentage (.268), kills (1051) and assists (979)
Slowing down this offense will be no easy task for the Lady Vols and will require them to be on top of their game, not only physically but mentally as well.
“They’re putting it all together this year,” head coach Rob Patrick said. “They have some experience on the court and are very physical at the net. We’re gonna have to serve tough, and we’re gonna have to know what position to be in to dig the ball, but then we’re gonna have to actually dig the ball.”
The Rebels are led by one of the SEC’s most dangerous players in Nakeyta Clair. The Country Club Hills, Illinois, native is one of the top finishers in the nation, ranking second in the SEC in hitting percentage (.421) and fifth in total kills (262).
The junior has played a significant role for her team ever since she stepped on campus, and her combination of experience and athleticism makes her very difficult to stop.
“She’s a great athlete who has really become a much better volleyball player,” Patrick said. “She’s always been athletic, but she’s really doing a great job of playing the game now. She gets off the ground quickly and hits the ball hard, and she is somebody we’re gonna have to find in transition, because they do a great job of getting the ball to her.”
One of the most important factors for Tennessee is its home-court advantage. Ole Miss is an astounding 9-1 when playing at home, but are only 4-4 on the road, struggling to find any kind of consistency away from their own gym.
The SEC volleyball schedule has teams playing most of their games Friday and Sunday, and for the first time in eight weeks, the Lady Vols will only play one game this weekend and will get to enjoy a Friday night away from volleyball.
“I’m excited,” Lea said. “It’s just an extra day to relax, and I think we’ll really have more energy and more time for our bodies to be relaxed for Sunday’s match.”
The Lady Vols will host Ole Miss Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in Thompson Boling Arena.
