The Lady Vols volleyball team ended their three-match losing streak this weekend by winning a Saturday doubleheader match inside Thompson-Boling Arena.
On the final day of the “DISH Lady Vol Classic,” Tennessee first defeated Mercer 3-2, in a back-and-forth, five-set thriller: 25-21, 20-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-13. The Lady Vols then ran away with the nightcap, sweeping Montana State in straight sets: 25-17, 25-15, 25-23.
After dropping contests to Austin Peay and Memphis on Thursday and Friday respectively, Saturday’s effort helped UT (7-7) salvage a 2-2 record in the weekend tournament.
“We’ve been using some lineups we’ve never used before due to some injuries and other things,” head coach Rob Patrick said following the doubleheader sweep, “but we did a lot better job today of being comfortable playing next to somebody new.”
In Saturday’s opener versus the Mercer Bears, UT freshmen Kelsey Bawcombe, Kendra Turner and Kanisha Jimenez led the way as the trio pelted Mercer with 44 of the team’s 55 kills.
“In that sense the freshmen did a fantastic job of bringing energy to the match today,” Patrick said. “We haven’t had a lot of that, but we’ve needed it. They were fearless out there today and did a great job of playing the out-of-system balls and being aggressive with them.”
Three Lady Vols also netted double-doubles in the match. To go along with her team-leading 17 kills, Bawcombe also scooped up 15 digs. Junior Lexi Dempsey had 44 assists along with 15 digs, and Kanisha Jimenez turned in a 10-kill, 13-dig performance as well.
The victory over Mercer became UT’s first home win of the season, after the losses to Austin Peay and Memphis opened the tournament.
Following two matches in two days, the Lady Vols have settled into a consistent lineup, which Patrick credits to his team’s improved play this weekend.
“I thought there was a lot of carryover from the good things we did on Friday,” Patrick said. “We started to settle down in a lineup. This is probably the 12th different lineup we’ve used, and we’ve used it for three matches in a row for the first time. It’s starting to come together, and people are starting to understand their roles. People are starting to get comfortable in the different positions that they’re playing.”
Bawcombe added, “We’re getting more organized. You get more used to the people that are surrounding you on the court. We do have a lot of depth, so that’s great. It’s been tough recently because we have so many people to put in to find some rhythm and consistency.”
Bawcombe, who finished the doubleheader with 28 total kills, was also named to the All-Tournament Team.
“She took some incredible swings and did some great things in all six rotations,” Patrick said. “That’s something that I was really happy about. She did a fantastic job blocking all weekend. In all phases of the game, she really had an impact on the game.”
Despite the lofty accolade, Bawcombe was quick to credit her teammates when asked what the honor meant to her.
“Lexi (Dempsey) did a great job this weekend, and our defense did a great job this weekend,” Bawcombe said. “I wouldn’t have been able to get those swings if those people hadn’t have been there for me.”
The Lady Vols return to action on Sept. 26 with the start of SEC play, beginning with an 8 p.m. match at Arkansas.
