Redshirt junior Caroline Kerr has tallied 2,368 assists since joining the Lady Vols’ starting rotation in 2023.
Wednesday’s matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs marked the beginning of Kerr’s third slate of conference games, now with over two seasons of experience, including two trips to the NCAA Tournament. Kerr understands her role as a leader.
“I’ve learned that and I’ve experienced it on both the winning and losing side,” Kerr said. “So it’s important that I bring that to the team and use that experience, so that helps us come out in games like this because you know that we’re going to have to bring our A-game every night.”
The Lady Vols’ first test of the season came against Georgia (8-3, 0-1 SEC), which saw Caroline and company win in a 3-0 sweep in front of an energetic Food City Center crowd.
There’s no easy test. Entering conference play, the SEC featured six different ranked teams, including two top-three ranked teams in No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Kentucky.
“There’s no bad team,” Kerr said. “There’s no, ‘Oh, you’re going to beat this team really easily,’ like there is none of that.”
Kerr’s veteran presence bled through against the Bulldogs. She finished the game playing in all three sets, earning 36 assists on the night. Her ability to share the wealth improves each season and shows through the stat sheet.
Three different Lady Vols finished with 11 or more kills, and not a single player on either side came close to touching Kerr’s 36 assists. Georgia’s Chloe Elraton finished with a team-high 17.
“It would be a disservice to the team if I didn’t bring that experience to us,” Kerr said. “And I pride myself on being able to help our team with that.”
Kerr’s on-the-feet decision-making and court vision add another level to the Lady Vols’ offensive and defensive attack alike. An interesting tidbit from the night shows Kerr with five kills on the night, a season-high.
What made her performance so impressive was that she earned the five kills on just seven total attacks, good for a .714 kill percentage.
She added on 12 digs to go with her impressive offensive game, showing her versatility, along with head coach Eve Rackham Watt’s continued pressure of good defense leading to better offense.
“I thought we got better and better as the game went on,” Kerr said. “Georgia is a good team. They ran a 6-2; they always had three hitters, which is just hard to defend against and I thought we just stayed in it.”
While Kerr didn’t finish with any blocks, the team tallied a total of 16 assisted blocks compared to Georgia’s 12.
Kerr has also confided in senior-transfer Gulce Guctekin as another veteran presence on the team.
“I think we do a good job contrasting each other,” Kerr said. “And it’s so great to play with her, obviously, she’s incredibly talented, and her leadership and her energy are just another step to why she helps our team so much.”
Kerr’s presence serves the team well in many facets, but the most vital for the Lady Vols is helping the development of younger players such as Chelsea Sutton, who finished her day against Georgia all over the court.
Sutton posted a stat line with 11 kills over 16 attacks, alongside four blocks. A very encouraging start to conference play for the sophomore.
“I think she’s going to learn,” Kerr said. “Obviously, she was in and out of the lineup last year, and she’s going to be learning even more from the experience she’s going to get this year. So I’m super proud of her.”
Kerr and the Lady Vols look to continue the momentum as they wrap up the homestand, welcoming in South Carolina on Friday, Sept. 26, to the Food City Center.
