University of Tennessee Athletics
Wednesday, September 24
Knoxville
6:30 p.m.
University of Tennessee
vs
Georgia
Week Preview: #22 Tennessee Hosts Georgia & South Carolina To Begin SEC Play
September 23, 2025 | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The #22-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols volleyball team opens conference play at home, hosting Georgia on Sept. 24 and South Carolina on Sept. 26 at Food City Center. First serve for both contests is schedule for 6:30 p.m., and both matches will be streamed on SEC Network+.
Doors will open one hour before the match, and fans can purchase tickets on AllVols.com. Parking is available on the top level of G-5/G-30 garage located at the corner of Lake Loudoun and Phillip Fulmer Way, directly across the street from the arena. Gate B will be the entrance for general fans, while students and player guests are encouraged to use Gate C. The clear bag policy is in effect for all matches. Additional items to know before coming out for a competition can be found on the Volleyball Gameday Page.
In last season's match-up with the Bulldogs, the Lady Vols earned the four-set win on the road. They were led by Caroline Kerr, who eclipsed 2,000 career assists as she led an offense with three players with 10-or-more kills. Tennessee owns a 52-30 record against Georgia, with the series between the two programs dating back to the 1975.Â
South Carolina scored the win over Tennessee last year, taking the match in a sweep. The Big Orange finished with 38 kills in the match, but 24 attacking errors and a .131 hitting percentage ultimately led to the defeat. Tennessee holds the edge over South Carolina in the all-time series, with a record of 43-34. The Lady Vols will look to end a two-game losing streak against the Gamecocks, with their last win coming back in 2022.
Tennessee enters league play on an eight-game winning streak, closing out non-conference action with four consecutive sweeps. Last week, the Lady Vols earned a pair of victories at home, defeating Rider and Kennesaw State in Knoxville.
Tennessee's offense exits non-conference play as one of the best in the nation. The Lady Vols lead Division I with a .343 hitting percentage and rank 20th in the nation in kills per set at 14.09. The offense has been a total team effort, with five players entering the week with 50 or more kills. Leading the group is Paityn Chapman with a team-high 91 kills and is averaging 3.25 kills per set. Following her is the duo of Hayden Kubik and Chelsea Sutton, who each have 83 and 66 kills respectively. Five players have a hitting percentage over .300, with Sutton leading the team with .477 hitting percentage that ranks as the fifth-best in the country. Zoe Humphrey is next on the list with a .466 hitting percentage, followed by Chapman at .388.
The Big Orange defense has also made its mark early in the season, holding opposing teams to a .111 hitting percentage. That mark leads the SEC and is the second best opponent hitting percentage in the country. Sutton leads the group with 45 blocks in the early part of the season, followed by redshirt freshman Humphrey with 27. The Lady Vols have allowed 306 kills for an average of 9.27 kills per set. As a team, Tennessee is averaging 12.55 digs per set, with transfer libero Gülce Güçtekin leading the pack with 129 digs.Â
Chelsea Sutton has been one of the top performers for the Lady Vols to start 2025, helping lead the team to a 9-1 start to the season. the team to a 9-1 start to the season. Sutton has been an important piece both offensively and defensively for the Lady Vols. Sutton is third on the team with 66 kills and leads the team with a .477 hitting percentage. Defensively, Sutton is the team leader with 45 total blocks, which ranks as the ninth-most in the SEC. Sutton is averaging 1.45 blocks per set, a mark that ranks in the top-25 nationally and also fourth in the conference. Last week, Sutton's strong start to the season earned her SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Sutton notched 15 blocks to help earn the award, while also finding success on the offensive end with 26 kills. Sutton picked up five blocks against Georgia Tech in a 3-1 win on Sept. 9, before adding six blocks in a sweep on the road against St. John's on Sept. 14.
Doors will open one hour before the match, and fans can purchase tickets on AllVols.com. Parking is available on the top level of G-5/G-30 garage located at the corner of Lake Loudoun and Phillip Fulmer Way, directly across the street from the arena. Gate B will be the entrance for general fans, while students and player guests are encouraged to use Gate C. The clear bag policy is in effect for all matches. Additional items to know before coming out for a competition can be found on the Volleyball Gameday Page.
In last season's match-up with the Bulldogs, the Lady Vols earned the four-set win on the road. They were led by Caroline Kerr, who eclipsed 2,000 career assists as she led an offense with three players with 10-or-more kills. Tennessee owns a 52-30 record against Georgia, with the series between the two programs dating back to the 1975.Â
South Carolina scored the win over Tennessee last year, taking the match in a sweep. The Big Orange finished with 38 kills in the match, but 24 attacking errors and a .131 hitting percentage ultimately led to the defeat. Tennessee holds the edge over South Carolina in the all-time series, with a record of 43-34. The Lady Vols will look to end a two-game losing streak against the Gamecocks, with their last win coming back in 2022.
Tennessee enters league play on an eight-game winning streak, closing out non-conference action with four consecutive sweeps. Last week, the Lady Vols earned a pair of victories at home, defeating Rider and Kennesaw State in Knoxville.
Tennessee's offense exits non-conference play as one of the best in the nation. The Lady Vols lead Division I with a .343 hitting percentage and rank 20th in the nation in kills per set at 14.09. The offense has been a total team effort, with five players entering the week with 50 or more kills. Leading the group is Paityn Chapman with a team-high 91 kills and is averaging 3.25 kills per set. Following her is the duo of Hayden Kubik and Chelsea Sutton, who each have 83 and 66 kills respectively. Five players have a hitting percentage over .300, with Sutton leading the team with .477 hitting percentage that ranks as the fifth-best in the country. Zoe Humphrey is next on the list with a .466 hitting percentage, followed by Chapman at .388.
The Big Orange defense has also made its mark early in the season, holding opposing teams to a .111 hitting percentage. That mark leads the SEC and is the second best opponent hitting percentage in the country. Sutton leads the group with 45 blocks in the early part of the season, followed by redshirt freshman Humphrey with 27. The Lady Vols have allowed 306 kills for an average of 9.27 kills per set. As a team, Tennessee is averaging 12.55 digs per set, with transfer libero Gülce Güçtekin leading the pack with 129 digs.Â
Chelsea Sutton has been one of the top performers for the Lady Vols to start 2025, helping lead the team to a 9-1 start to the season. the team to a 9-1 start to the season. Sutton has been an important piece both offensively and defensively for the Lady Vols. Sutton is third on the team with 66 kills and leads the team with a .477 hitting percentage. Defensively, Sutton is the team leader with 45 total blocks, which ranks as the ninth-most in the SEC. Sutton is averaging 1.45 blocks per set, a mark that ranks in the top-25 nationally and also fourth in the conference. Last week, Sutton's strong start to the season earned her SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Sutton notched 15 blocks to help earn the award, while also finding success on the offensive end with 26 kills. Sutton picked up five blocks against Georgia Tech in a 3-1 win on Sept. 9, before adding six blocks in a sweep on the road against St. John's on Sept. 14.
Players Mentioned
OPP
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