University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
5-0
Tennessee Tech
0-4
Vols Beat Tech to Open Volleyball Classic
September 03, 2015 | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Volunteers regained momentum in the fourth set to earn a 3-1 (25-15, 25-19, 22-25, 25-15) victory over Tennessee Tech on Thursday to start the DISH Tennessee Volleyball Classic at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The invitational continues Friday with four matches starting at 10 a.m. Tennessee plays just one match, taking on UNCG at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Tennessee plays North Florida at 10 a.m. and Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m.
"Tennessee Tech really played a great match," Tennessee head coach Rob Patrick said. "They had a great game plan coming in. Their kids played hard, and they really made it difficult for us to find kills on their side of the net. Our team played very hard also, and if we didn't, it would have been a longer match than it was."
The Vols are now 5-0 to start the year for the eighth time in program history and the fifth time in the Patrick coaching era. It is the program's best start to the season since going 6-0 to open 2010.
Tennessee Tech is now 0-4.
Coming out of the halftime break, the Golden Eagles rallied to take the third set and were neck-and-neck with the Vols early in the fourth. Kelsey Bawcombe broke the tie with a kill and followed on the next point with a block with Raina Hembry to put Tennessee up 13-11. Though Tech closed the score to a point, Tennessee never trailed again.
The Vols reeled off 11 of the final 13 points to take the set 25-15 and seal the match.
Sophomore Kanisha Jimenez recorded her second double-double of the season with 15 kills and 14 digs, and junior Bri Holmes added 13 kills.
Senior Lexi Dempsey finished with 45 assists, her second most of the season. Junior libero Bridgette Villano had 17 digs.
In the first set, the Vols pulled away with an 8-0 run midway through the first set to go up 15-8. That proved to be the difference maker. The Eagles pulled within four points at 16-12 but Tennessee continued to pull away. Holmes came up with a clean kill to give Tennessee the opening set 25-15.
Holmes and Treiber both had three kills each to lead Tennessee in the second set. Though the Vols hit .143 in the set, they held Tennessee Tech to .029. The Golden Eagles closed the score to 22-18 late, but the Vols won three of the next four points to take the set 25-19 on a kill by Treiber.
The Vols rallied from 17-13 down to tie the third set at 18-18. Tennessee again came from two points down late to tie the set at 22-22, but the Golden Eagles grabbed the next three points to win the set 25-22. The Eagles outhit the Vols in the set .219 to .122.
