University of Tennessee Athletics
VB CENTRAL: Tennessee at Alabama
November 27, 2014 | Volleyball
Nov. 27, 2014 
VS
November 29, 2014 | 2 p.m. ET
FOSTER AUDITORIUM | Tuscaloosa, Ala.
ALABAMA
TENNESSEE
WK14
BROADCAST INFO
- Saturday's match will be broadcast live online through SEC Network +, the digital component of the SEC Network.
- Mick Gillispie will be on play-by-play duty for Sunday's broadcast and will be joined by analyst Elizabeth Fields.
- To access SEC Network +, click here and log in using your satellite or cable account information. Fans can also follow the match on their mobile devices by downloading the WatchESPN app.
THE SERIES
- Saturday is the 48th meeting all-time between Tennessee and Alabama in a series that dates back to 1973. UT holds a 33-14 edge in the series, but the Crimson Tide have claimed each of the last two meetings after suffering 10 consecutive defeats to the Lady Vols. Last season's loss at Alabama dropped UT's all-time record in Tuscaloosa to 13-8. Tennessee head coach Rob Patrick holds a 20-9 record in his career against Alabama.
- Oct. 5, 2014: Playing in front a season-best crowd of 1,780 fans at Thompson-Boling Arena, Tennessee saw its comeback effort from a 2-0 deficit fall short in a 3-1 loss to the Crimson Tide. After dropping the first two sets, UT took the third set and pushed UA to the brink in the fourth, eventually bowing out in a 29-27 decision. Jamie Lea had 11 kills for the Lady Vols and Kanisha Jimenez added nine more.
- Nov. 24, 2013: The lone meeting of the 2013 season, UA swept Tennessee in Tuscaloosa, 3-0. Jamie Lea had nine kills in the match as the Lady Vols suffered their first loss in Tuscaloosa since October of 2007.
- Oct. 28, 2012: Tennessee swept its way past Alabama, 3-0, at Thompson-Boling Arena to clinch its 10th consecutive victory over the Crimson Tide -- the longest streak for either program in the series. The Lady Vols posted a hitting percentage of .380 compared to .155 for the visitors on their way to the victory.
TENNESSEE (8-23, 1-16 SEC)
- The Lady Vols enter the season finale having lost eight straight matches, tying its longest such streak of the season. UT fell to Arkansas, 3-1, in its last match on Wednesday night in Knoxville.
- In Wednesday's match vs. Arkansas, UT was led by a career performance from senior middle blocker Shealyn Kolosky. Donning the orange and white in front of the home faithful for the final time in her career, Kolosky finished with a career-high 12 kills on a .500 hitting percentage.
- It was only the second time this season that Kolosky had led the Lady Vols in kills and just the second double-digit kill performance from the senior in 2014.
- Libero Megan Hatcher had a team-high 15 digs on Wednesday night and is now averaging 4.25 digs per set over her last six matches. She has recorded 10 or more digs in each of her last 11 matches.
- Hatcher has now overtaken fellow defensive specialist Bridgette Villano for the team lead in kills per set. Each half of the duo ranks inside the SEC's top 20 in the category. Hatcher's 3.11 is the 11th-best mark in the league with Villano not far behind in 13th at 3.01.
- Middle blockers Iesha Bryant and Raina Hembry also rank inside the SEC's top 20 in blocks per set. The duo has combined to lead the team in total blocks in 26 of UT's 31 matches this year, each pacing the squad 13 times, respectively. Bryant stands 9th in the conference, averaging exactly 1.00 b/s and Hembry, who has had the team lead in blocks in three of the last five matches, ranks 15th at 0.92 b/s. The duo combined for five blocks on Wednesday night -- three from Bryant and a pair from Hembry.
- Freshman right side Kanisha Jimenez ranks inside the top three of the team leaders in five major statistical categories: kills per set (1.84, 3rd), total aces(17, T-1st), total blocks (67, 3rd), total assists (21, 3rd), and total digs (256, 3rd).
ALABAMA(24-7, 12-5 SEC)
- The Crimson Tide are putting the finishing touches on their second consecutive 20-win season under fourth-year head coach Ed Allen. Their 24 wins this year match a program record.
- The winner of five of its last six matches, Alabama earned a 3-2 victory at Missouri on Wednesday night, getting 53 of its team's 71 total kills from the trio of Krystal Rivers (26), Kat Hutson (16), and Brittany Thomas (11).
- Rivers, the SEC's leader in kills per set at 4.31, was named to the All-SEC team last week alongside teammate Hutson, who appeared on both the All-SEC list and the All-Freshman Team. Hutson ranks fourth in the league in kills per set at 3.61.
- In piecing together one of the best attacking offenses in the country, Alabama has relied on the steady play of setter Sierra Wilson. The setter leads the SEC in both total assists (1,423) and assists per set (11.66). She finished with 56 in five sets on Wednesday in Columbia.
- As a team, the Crimson Tide rank third in the conference in kills per set at 13.88.
- Alabama holds a staunch 11-1 record at home this season. The Crimson Tide went 4-0 at Foster Auditorium in non-league play and is 7-1 in SEC action with their lone home loss coming to Ole Miss on Oct. 19.
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Game Notes
Players Mentioned
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