#22 Lady Vols' Extend Unbeaten Run in Sweep Over South Carolina

Friday, September 26

Knoxville

6:30 p.m.

University of Tennessee

11-1,2-0SEC

South Carolina

6-6,0-2SEC

South Carolina

Tennessee

#22 Lady Vols' Extend Unbeaten Run in Sweep Over South Carolina

September 26, 2025 | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The No. 22 Tennessee volleyball team recorded its sixth consecutive sweep and extended its winning streak to 10 games against South Carolina (25-23, 25-16, 25-17) at Food City Center on Friday.

This is the first time Tennessee (11-1, 2-0) has opened SEC play with back-to-back sweeps since the 2023 season, coming against Missouri and Kentucky back on Sept. 20 and 24.

Senior outside hitter Hayden Kubik dominated the court once again, closing with 15 kills, three digs, two blocks and one ace. Redshirt-junior setter Caroline Kerr reached another double-double, making it back-to-back for her in SEC play. Kerr rounded out the night with 29 assists, 12 digs, three blocks and one kill.

The Big Orange executed well on both ends of the court as Sophomore middle blocker Chelsea Sutton delivered eight kills on .429 hitting, adding four blocks and an assist, while Redshirt-senior outside/opposite hitter Starr Williams added seven kills and four massive blocks as well. Redshirt-freshman middle blocker Zoë Humphrey put up five kills, eight blocks, and one dig. Sophomore opposite hitter Paityn Chapman's four kills brought the energy for Tennessee's offense, along with her three blocks and one dig.

Thanks to 50 digs and 12 team blocks, Tennessee held the Gamecocks (6-6, 0-2) to a .144 hitting percentage, compared to the Lady Vols' 41 kills on .303 hitting. Senior libero Gülce Güçtekin finished with an impressive 16 digs and 6 assists. Junior outside hitter Mackenzie Plante supported from the back row, making six digs and one kill for the Lady Vols.

It was a struggle for the Big Orange to maintain the lead throughout the first frame after a 6-0 run from the Gamecocks, but they were able to come back and take the set 25-23. Six kills for Kubik led the Tennessee offense during the set. The Lady Vols put up four blocks and 12 digs, five coming from Maggie Dosic and four from Güçtekin. It was a back and forth effort in the first set, with 10 ties and three lead changes.

Tennessee did not allow any tie scores in the second stanza, as the Gamecocks could not compete with Tennessee's early 5-0 run. The Lady Vols picked up six blocks for the set and 14 digs to hold the South Carolina offense. Both Kubik and Sutton added four kills to support Tennessee's 13 total on .370 hitting. Humphrey had six blocks and one kill, while Chapman followed with three blocks and one kill. Kerr gave 10 assists, five digs, and two blocks of her own.

Tennessee used another run to take control of the final set, thanks to a 6-0 run midway through the third frame. The Lady Vols closed the match by gaining 18 more kills on .333 hitting, two aces, and two blocks. Kubik finished with another five kills and one ace, while Sutton's three kills picked up steam for the Big Orange. Güçtekin gave another eight digs and an ace, while Kerr rounded out her night with 11 assists, seven digs and one kill.

Up next, the Lady Vols head to Baton Rouge on Friday, October 3rd, to take on LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The match is slated for 8 p.m. and streamed on SEC Network+.