Lady Vols to Play Georgia Tech in Showdown at the Net

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A rematch from the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament, Tennessee volleyball will host Georgia Tech at Food City Center as part of Showdown at the Net, an ESPN-sponsored event that features a clash between SEC and ACC programs.

The Lady Vols and Yellow Jackets help kick off 16-match event, facing off on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The match will be televised nationally on SEC Network with the start time being announced at a later date. This marks the fifth showdown between the two teams, with the series being split 2-2.

Georgia Tech posted a 21-10 record in 2024, earning a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advancing to the second round. The Yellow Jackets lost a pair of All-ACC outside hitters to graduation but return four experienced players, including senior middle blocker Liv Mogridge—the older sister of Tennessee's incoming freshman setter Izzy Mogridge. Liv has played in 79 combined matches throughout her career and boasts 468 kills, 236 blocks, 124 digs and 42 aces.

The rest of the Big Orange's 2025 schedule was announced earlier this month. With the addition of the Yellow Jackets, Tennessee will play 12 NCAA Tournament teams this fall and will enjoy 15 home contests.

Lady Vol fans can purchase their season tickets, with general seating prices starting at $50. The reserved seating option is back again this year. Fans interested in those seats, which will be $75, should fill out the interest form, and a member of the Tennessee Athletics Ticket Office will reach out in the coming weeks.

2025 Tennessee Preview
Tennessee is led by two-time All-American setter Caroline Kerr. The rising redshirt junior has guided the Lady Vol offense each of the last two seasons, boasting 2,314 career assists and averaging 11.02 assists per set.

UT returns plenty of experience at the middle blocker position with Keondreya Granberry, Klaudia Pawlik and Chelsea Sutton. Granberry was a 2024 AVCA South All-Region Team selection after ranking second nationally and leading the SEC with a .455 hitting percentage. She finished the season with 240.5 points, 189 kills, 93 blocks, 26 digs and six assists and led the team in blocks for the third year in a row.

In total, eight returners saw action in at least 50 sets last fall, while Kerr and Granberry started in all 27 matches. Outside hitter Hayden Kubik (25), right side hitter Paityn Chapman (19) and Sutton (14) each earned starting nods in double-digit contests. Chapman and Kubik ranked second and third, respectively, on the team in kills last year, combining for 445 between the two.

The Lady Vols will have nine new faces on the roster next fall after bringing in five individuals from the transfer portal and signing four freshmen. Head coach Eve Rackham Watt and her staff reloaded on the offensive front, adding a trio of all-conference players in Sydney Jones (All-AAC), Brynn Williams (All-Big 12) and Starr Williams (All-CUSA), who combine for more than 1,651 career kills.

Outside hitter Maggie Dostic was the top signee in UT's recruiting class, checking as the No. 31 overall recruit in the country by PrepVolleyball.com. As a senior, Dostic was the 2024 MaxPreps Player of the Year for Florida and garnered Second Team All-American honors from the organization. She posted 311 kills on .313 hitting, 166 digs, 51 aces and 27 blocks.

University of Tennessee Athletics

Players Mentioned

Paityn Chapman

Maggie Dostic

Keondreya Granberry

Sydney Jones

Caroline Kerr

Hayden Kubik

Izzy Mogridge

Klaudia Pawlik

Chelsea Sutton

Brynn Williams

Starr Williams

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