Heading into the season, Tennessee volleyball head coach Eve Rackham Watt preached on her 2025 team’s depth, claiming the roster was one of her deepest squads yet through her now eight seasons of coaching the Lady Vols.
Friday’s first game of the doubleheader gave the Lady Vols just the opportunity to showcase the depth of the squad, including new transfers and returning players alike.
“It’s a luxury to be able to switch in and out of systems and use the depth, and I think you saw that tonight,” Rackham Watt said. “Obviously, Hayden Kubik was tremendous, getting the start. I thought she really set the tone for us offensively from the first set.”
A senior who transferred from Nebraska, Kubik was entering her second season with the team and had spent time on and off the starting lineup during the 2024 season. On Friday against Samford, Kubik earned her first starting nod of the season.
She finished her day with a career-high in kills over three sets with 18 across 31 total hits. While her offense was effective all day, she also showed up on the defensive side with eight digs and one block.
Kubik has only played two games this season, including the matchup against Samford. Despite this, she understands the process.
“What we care about is how much depth we have on the team,” Kubik said. “For me to come in and just try and do my job the best I could was all I could ask for.”
The three games in two days handed Rackham Watt the chance to spread the reps among players like Kubik, who have not gotten as many chances heading into the match.
The locker room seems to understand and has bought into the idea of playing with a deep bench. They see the switching as a vote of confidence from Rackham Watt.
“It’s definitely a confidence boost,” Kubik said. “We always have to stay ready on the bench or wherever we’re at on the court, so just always being in the mindset, preparing the same way each game so that if we get called, we go in and do the best we can.”
Kubik wasn’t alone in production. Sophomore Chelsea Sutton made her mark everywhere on the court. She led the team in blocks with four and was second on the team with eight kills.
“She was really steady,” Rackham Watt said. “You look at the stats, she had eight kills, which is a lot for a middle blocker, especially in three sets. She did a really nice job blocking; she’s coming along.”
Sydney Jones and Zoe Humphrey both played all three sets, and both delivered very similar performances. Humphrey tallied five kills, with Jones right behind her with four.
The two further the idea that the deeper you look into this team’s roster, the more unmarked talent you’re going to discover. With Kubik dominating the game, it created room for the others to also shine.
“She played really smart, clean volleyball, which I think allowed everybody else to kind of settle in,” Rackham Watt said. “And then we got Sydney Jones, who got some time tonight as well, who has been coming along in her position.”
The Lady Vols return to action Friday evening at 7 p.m. ET for a meeting with Winthrop.
