KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 22 Tennessee volleyball returned to Food City Center on Tuesday to host the Illinois Fighting Illini in front of a record crowd of 8,212. The Lady Vols pulled off their fourth consecutive sweep, 25-19, 25-17, 25-11, to begin the season.
Tennessee and Illinois kept things tight most of the first set. Illinois took a quick 2-1 lead and never led the rest of the set. Outside hitter Alyssa Aguayo and Paityn Chapman led the offense for the Fighting Illini. Middle blocker Jolene Oddo got the start for the Lady Vols and opened with a couple of blocks and a kill before taking a breather.
With the score 13-12 Tennessee, they began to distance themselves a little. Kennedi Rogers and Jalyn Stout led the Lady Vols with five kills apiece, with Maggie Dostic right behind with four. Rogers clinched the set with an ace to take it 25-19. The call was initially out, but Tennessee won the challenge.
Rogers opened the second set with her 6th kill of the night, but the Fighting Illini got out to a 6-4 lead. Talita Goncalves did her part for the Fighting Illini and led them in digs. She finished the night with a game-high of 12. Lady Vols setter Caroline Kerr scored a couple of kills and set the offense. She also defended well and blocked for a point to make it 16-13 Tennessee.
Stout killed with great deception, knowing when to use power and when to find an open spot with the offspeed. Then Rogers went on a four-point run behind the service line. After Illinois’ Vivian Campbell scored back-to-back aces to cut the Vol lead to 19-17, Tennessee finished on a 6-0 run to take the set. Rogers recorded her 10th kill in the sequence, with Dostic recording her 6th. Chelsea Sutton came up with a huge block and kill to clinch the set.
Stout opened set three with her eighth kill of the night. Oddo picked up three early kills in the set and finished with five. The Lady Vols got out to a 6-2 lead before Aguayo recorded her eighth kill of the game. Dostic continued her strong match as well and recorded three kills in the Lady Vols’ first nine points of the set. Tennessee got up to a 10-3 lead after a Chelsea Sutton kill.
Tennessee was just too much for Illinois in the last set and ran away 25-11. The Lady Vols spread things out. Three players finished with double-digit kills: Rogers (14), Dostic (11) with a .688 hitting percentage, and Stout (10), who also finished with 11 digs for a double-double. Rogers led all players with 15.5 points and added seven digs. Kerr stamped another 30-plus assist night with 38 while leading the match with three blocks and adding six digs. Oddo backed her at the net with two blocks.
The Lady Vols will return to action Sunday in Nashville, Tenn. There they will face the Indiana Hoosiers at 3 p.m. EDT in the Broadway Block Party at Bridgestone Arena. That game will be nationally broadcast on ESPN2.
