Tennessee volleyball kept its momentum going with a 25-13, 25-14, 25-13 sweep over Samford at Food City Center. Coming off a 3-1 defeat of Wofford on Friday night, the Lady Vols continued their roll, disposing of Samford in dominant fashion.
Tennessee built off its strong win Friday night with another dominant match highlighted by a career day on the scoreboard from Hayden Kubik.
“Obviously, Hayden Kubik was tremendous getting the start,” head coach Eve Rackham Watt said. “I thought she really set the tone for us offensively. From the first set, she played really smart, clean volleyball, which I think kind of allowed everybody else to settle in.”
Kubik’s career-high 17 kills led Tennessee to the match win, with the senior notching 30 attacks and eight digs for the afternoon as well. She also notched two aces from behind the line for the Lady Vols. The senior topped her previous high-water mark of 16 kills against Missouri last season.
“Honestly, I just wanted to win the game so I was hitting (the ball) hard and going for it,” Kubik said.
Sophomore middle blocker Chelsea Sutton also made her presence known at the net for Tennessee, collecting 11 attacks, eight kills and four blocks on the afternoon.
Sutton and Zoe Humphrey also delivered several big points for the Lady Vols, stepping up in a match where notorious offensive presence Brynn Williams was quiet.
Rackham Watt talked about the depth heading into this season and how she felt the most confident in the depth of this roster, and that was certainly the case in the first game with Kubik, Sutton and Humphrey dominating the net.
The depth for the Lady Vols on offense has been a highlight since the preseason, and Rackham Watt anticipated needing to rotate through players with the doubleheader on Friday.
“What we care about is how much depth we have on the team so for me to come in and just try to do my job the best I could was all I could ask for,” Kubik said. “We always have to stay ready on the bench or wherever we’re at, so just always being in the mindset of preparing the same way each game.”
Yet the strong physicality of Tennessee remains a big factor in the team’s success, and showed itself once again in the team’s sweep Friday afternoon.
Defensively, the Lady Vols continued their strong effort from Friday. Caroline Kerr once again led Tennessee in assists with 26, emphasizing her team-first approach.
Kerr has been a leader for a returning core and several new players. She has stepped up with her work ethic and commitment to the team to lead by example. The redshirt junior has as much experience as anyone on the team and has been a vocal leader for the Lady Vols off the court.
It will be a quick turnaround for the Lady Vols as the second half of the doubleheader against Winthrop is set for 7 p.m. ET.
