No. 18 Tennessee sweeps No. 24 Marquette on the road

MILWAUKEE – A dominant offensive showing by 18th-ranked Tennessee gave the Lady Vols their first ranked win since 2021, as the Big Orange went on the road and swept No. 24 Marquette (25-19, 25-22, 25-22) at Al McGuire Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Tennessee (7-1) had the hot hand early and never let up, hitting a blazing .438 while holding the Golden Eagles (2-5) to a .247 hitting percentage.

The Lady Vols dominated on both sides of the net, finishing with 57 kills and nine and a half blocks as a team. Marquette ended with just 34 kills on the day, as the Big Orange back row posted 33 digs.

The last time Tennessee swept a ranked opponent was in 2021, when the Lady Vols knocked off 16th-ranked Missouri on February 13. The following fall, the Big Orange topped No. 9 Baylor at home in five sets on September 3, marking the last ranked win prior to Sunday’s encounter with Marquette.

Leading the way for UT was the graduate student duo of Morgahn Fingall and Jenaisya Moore.

Fingall, a right-side hitter, tallied a match-high 18 kills on .471 hitting to go along with a season-best six blocks and three digs. An outside hitter, Moore posted 15 kills on .481 hitting, four digs, two assists and two aces.

Setter Caroline Kerr, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, finished with 48 assists, marking the most in her career during a three-set match. She also added three kills and a dig in the outing.

Junior outside hitter Erykah Lovett had an all-around performance, recording a match-high 12 digs, eight kills, three blocks and two assists.

Graduate student libero Yelianiz Torres tallied 11 digs and three assists on the day.

Holding down the front row, sophomore middle blocker Keondreya Granberry posted seven kills and six blocks, while redshirt-sophomore middle blocker Emily Beeker finished with six kills and two blocks.

In the opening frame, the Lady Vols’ offensive attack came out hot, hitting for .528 compared to Marquette’s .355. Three different players recorded at least four kills in the set, with Fingall leading the way with nine kills on 10 attacks. Tennessee never trailed in the period after starting the match on an 8-2 run.

The second set went back and forth with 11 ties and two lead changes, but it was a late push by the Big Orange that ended up being the difference. Tied at 19-19, the Lady Vols scored three straight points to pull ahead. In the frame, Tennessee was led by Moore’s six kills and Fingall’s four kills and four blocks. Tennessee blocked five shots in the period after having just one block in the opening frame.

Marquette wouldn’t go away quietly, but the Lady Vol attack was too much for the Golden Eagle defense in the third set. Tennessee out hit Marquette .433 to .095 and recorded three and a half blocks in the final set to complete its fifth sweep of the season. Fingall and Moore both had five kills the frame to spearhead the Big Orange offense.

Up Next

Tennessee is back on Rocky Top for a three-match homestand, beginning with contests against Chicago State and Evansville on Thursday and Friday, respectively, this week. Tennessee volleyball will be teaming up with Second Harvest Food Bank to help feed those in need. Fans who bring two non-perishable food items to the match will receive one complimentary ticket. Just bring your food items to TBA, and you’ll receive your ticket from the Tennessee Fan Experience tent. Both matches will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed on SEC Network+.