Lady Vols Open Season with Sweep of South Florida In Front of Record-Setting Crowd

The attendance marker eclipsed the previous record of 6,193 against Penn State during last year’s season opener on Aug. 30, 2024.

The Big Orange (1-0) closed the contest with a sturdy 35 kills on .284 hitting. Defensively, Tennessee tallied 33 digs and 14 blocks, holding USF (0-2) to only 19 kills on -0.089 hitting and forcing 27 attacking errors overall. 

Senior outside hitter Brynn Williams led the offense with a team-high nine kills, also tallying four digs and two blocks on defense. Junior outside hitter Mackenzie Plante and Sophomore outside/opposite hitter Sydney Jones each added five kills of their own. Redshirt-junior setter Caroline Kerr picked up 15 points for the Lady Vols, while Freshman setter Izzy Mogridge added 12 assists of her own.

Senior middle blocker Keondreya Granberry stepped out on defense, posting a match-high of eight blocks, along with four kills on offense. Sophomore middle blocker Chelsea Sutton followed with six blocks and another four kills for the team. Senior libero Gülce Güçtekin controlled the defensive end with 15 digs to go along with three assists and two aces.

The Lady Vols came in hot, out-hitting South Florida 10 kills to four early on. The Big Orange assisted eight of the 10 kills, with an additional two aces. Tennessee’s offense in the first frame was led by Sutton’s three kills. Defensively, the Lady Vols held USF to only 13 points, recording 10 digs and two blocks. 

The second stanza was another successful defensive effort from Tennessee with 11 digs and eight blocks, holding the Bulls to .031 hitting. Granberry stepped up at the net, garnering five blocks and three kills. Redshirt-senior outside/opposite hitter Starr Williams recorded three blocks and two kills, while B. Williams added another two blocks and three kills of her own. 

The Big Orange closed the match thanks to a strong 14 kills on .310 hitting. The defense kept up their stellar effort on the court, totaling four blocks and 12 digs in the final frame to secure the sweep.

Up next, the Lady Vols face Purdue on Sunday for the 2025 ‘Broadway Block Party at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The contest is set for 3 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN2.