University of Tennessee Athletics
Friday, August 28
Knoxville, Tenn.
7 p.m. ET
University of Tennessee
1-0,0-0SEC
3
vs
0
Colgate
0-1,0-0Patriot
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colgate | 17 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Record-Breaking Crowd Spurs #22 Lady Vols to Season-Opening Sweep over Colgate
August 28, 2026 | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- A record-setting crowd of 7,924 packed Food City Center on Friday night as No. 22 Tennessee opened its season with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-12) win over Colgate.
This marked the third consecutive season that the Lady Vols set a new attendance record in their season opener, breaking last season's previous record of 7,654.
Tennessee dominated on the evening, posting 49 kills on a robust .461 hitting percentage. Defensively, the Lady Vols logged 40 digs and nine blocks, stifling the Raiders' offense, which mustered just 23 kills and a .094 hitting percentage.
Sophomore Kennedi Rogers had a dazzling debut for the Lady Vols, notching a double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs. Senior transfer Jalyn Stout made her presence known in her first match in the Orange & White, finishing with 13 kills, seven digs and three blocks. Caroline Kerr supported the offense throughout the match, finishing the night with 37 assists and adding five digs. Libero Raegan Burns led Tennessee in digs in her first match with the program, totaling 11 while contributing four assists.
Chelsea Sutton put in work at the net, leading the team with five blocks, giving the junior middle blocker her 14th match of her career with five or more blocks. Finishing close behind was Kerr, who stepped up for the Big Orange defense with four blocks of her own.
The Lady Vols were on fire to open the first stanza, winning the first six points and taking a 10-2 advantage early. Tennessee assisted 20 of its 21 kills in the first set on an impressive .594 hitting percentage. Stout led the group with six kills in the first set to get her night started. Kerr put up 17 assists in the opening frame, while Burns led the floor defense with four digs.
The second frame from Tennessee was even more dominant, with the defense quieting the Colgate attack with 10 digs and three blocks. The Raiders struggled throughout the second set, managing just six kills on a minuscule -.040 hitting percentage. Sutton stepped up at the net, leading the way with three blocks. Kerr did damage from the service line, catching Colgate off guard to log a pair of aces.
It was much of the same in the final set, with the Lady Vols closing out the contest with 16 kills on .382 hitting. The defensive effort continued to cap off the match, with Tennessee posting 19 digs and four total blocks.
Up next, the Lady Vols finish their opening weekend with two matches at Food City Center on Saturday. The action gets underway at 1 p.m. against Morehead State, followed by an evening contest against Fairfield at 6 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on SEC Network+.
This marked the third consecutive season that the Lady Vols set a new attendance record in their season opener, breaking last season's previous record of 7,654.
Tennessee dominated on the evening, posting 49 kills on a robust .461 hitting percentage. Defensively, the Lady Vols logged 40 digs and nine blocks, stifling the Raiders' offense, which mustered just 23 kills and a .094 hitting percentage.
Sophomore Kennedi Rogers had a dazzling debut for the Lady Vols, notching a double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs. Senior transfer Jalyn Stout made her presence known in her first match in the Orange & White, finishing with 13 kills, seven digs and three blocks. Caroline Kerr supported the offense throughout the match, finishing the night with 37 assists and adding five digs. Libero Raegan Burns led Tennessee in digs in her first match with the program, totaling 11 while contributing four assists.
Chelsea Sutton put in work at the net, leading the team with five blocks, giving the junior middle blocker her 14th match of her career with five or more blocks. Finishing close behind was Kerr, who stepped up for the Big Orange defense with four blocks of her own.
The Lady Vols were on fire to open the first stanza, winning the first six points and taking a 10-2 advantage early. Tennessee assisted 20 of its 21 kills in the first set on an impressive .594 hitting percentage. Stout led the group with six kills in the first set to get her night started. Kerr put up 17 assists in the opening frame, while Burns led the floor defense with four digs.
The second frame from Tennessee was even more dominant, with the defense quieting the Colgate attack with 10 digs and three blocks. The Raiders struggled throughout the second set, managing just six kills on a minuscule -.040 hitting percentage. Sutton stepped up at the net, leading the way with three blocks. Kerr did damage from the service line, catching Colgate off guard to log a pair of aces.
It was much of the same in the final set, with the Lady Vols closing out the contest with 16 kills on .382 hitting. The defensive effort continued to cap off the match, with Tennessee posting 19 digs and four total blocks.
Up next, the Lady Vols finish their opening weekend with two matches at Food City Center on Saturday. The action gets underway at 1 p.m. against Morehead State, followed by an evening contest against Fairfield at 6 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on SEC Network+.
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S/OPP
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
Colg
UT
Kills
23
49
Errors
15
8
Attempts
85
89
Hitting %
.094
.461
Points
25.0
63.0
Assists
22
46
Aces
1
5
Blocks
1
9
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
4
Aces
3
Blocks
4
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