The volleyball team seized a signature SEC win this week after spotting No. 5 Kentucky a two-set lead and then swiping the next three for a reverse sweep.

Match point, sealed fittingly at the net, set off a celebration Wednesday evening at the arena with nearly 6,000 fans. Among them were the Lady Vols basketball players who arrived late after an evening photo and video shoot – that means the season is close to starting – and managed to see the best part of the match.

“After practice, we got done late because we had photo video day, it was about 9 o’clock, they all went to the volleyball game and made a student section,” basketball coach Kim Caldwell said.

Kennedi Rogers posted her sixth double-double of the season with 13 kills and a career-high 13 digs. Caroline Kerr tallied 46 assists and 10 digs. Jalyn Stout posted 13 kills and 10 digs.

Chelsea Sutton led Tennessee with a season-high 14 kills on a .538 hitting percentage with two blocks. Maggie Dostic logged eight kills and 12 digs. Freshman Camille Perry set a new season-high six kills with two blocks.

No. 9 Tennessee lost the first two sets, 25-17, 25-18, and then got some momentum with a 25-19 win in the third set.

“I think when you’re down the first two sets, your back’s kind of against the wall, and that lights a fire underneath you, and that definitely translated,” Sutton said.

The Lady Vols then took the fourth set, 25-19, and that set up the final fifth set, which Tennessee took 15-10 to extend its win streak to six matches. Tennessee defeated a top five team for the first time in 21 years with the win over Wildcats. The last time was Oct. 30, 2005, against No. 4 Florida in five sets.

The volleyball team erupts after the win over Kentucky.
(Elliot Walker/Tennessee Athletics)

The offense couldn’t click for Tennessee in the first two sets, and the outcome wasn’t as close as the score indicated as Kentucky dominated play.

“Not clicking would be an understatement of the first two sets,” said coach Eve Rackham Watt, whose postgame presser can be watched HERE. “We were really out of sorts. I thought Kentucky’s service pressure had a lot to do with that, but we were uncharacteristically frantic. I think our team settled in a little bit and we’re able to pull out that third set.

“We were just much better behind the service line. I think our blocking picked up, and then our attacking was much cleaner. We made a lot of errors in those first two sets. Kentucky’s too good for that. For us, we played better, kind of in all facets of the game, going into the third.”

When Kerr and Sutton were asked post-game about the early struggles on offense, Kerr was quick to field the question.

“I guess I can answer at the start since I run the offense,” said Kerr, whose postgame presser with Sutton can be watched HERE. “I think it was kind of a change in mentality and how hard we were going to play, and that translated over into all facets of the game. I felt like we tried doing what we do every day in the first two sets, and it just wasn’t there yet. We knew we had to level up the mentality and how hard we were going to work.”

Kerr, an All-American setter last season, has somehow gotten even better in her final year as a Lady Vol. She also has multiple options with Sutton getting healthier, Perry emerging as a freshman and Rogers sending missiles over the net.

“During the course of that match, my coaches were telling me, ‘Hey, any option’s a really good option,’ and that’s because we’ve got people in all positions,” Kerr said. “If we’re passing well, I’ve just got to locate a good ball, and we’re probably either going to get a kill or something good from it.”

The Lady Vols also elevated the blocking defense at the net.

“We were shown an image of how we weren’t executing how we should’ve, we weren’t being aggressive enough at the net, and when we saw that, I think it was just kind of a switch in our head flipped,” Sutton said. “Really after that, wanting to get our hands over the net, get in their face and affect the attacker.”

Tennessee will host No. 22 Vanderbilt on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m. Eastern with the broadcast on the SEC Network. Kentucky is now 7-2 in SEC play, with Tennessee and Vandy both at 6-2.

Rackham Watt learned from media after the game that the win over Kentucky was a milestone one for the program.

“Wow, I didn’t know that. It’s hard to put into words,” Rackham Watt said. “I don’t necessarily think of wins that way. I think you try to keep things in perspective in terms of it’s an SEC match. We want to win a championship, so they all count the same, as you’re climbing towards wanting to be at your best at the end of the year.

“I have a lot of respect for Kentucky’s program and what they’ve done, and it’s a big time win for us in terms of for this season and the belief of this group and where we want to be. But I think keeping it in perspective to where we are at this point and what we still can get better at, and we’ve got another match on Sunday.”

BASKETBALL MEDIA DAY

The new-look Lady Vols hosted their annual local media day Thursday and opened practice for an extended viewing session. The energy in Pratt Pavilion was noticeable, and it wasn’t because a bigger audience was watching.

“They make it fun to be here,” said Caldwell, who has pushed the team hard – that also was on display and the players didn’t flinch – and praised their willingness to compete. “They make it fun to coach them. When we walk into the gym, we’re genuinely excited to be here. The gym is a place that people want to be. I don’t think we have any players that walk in and dread being in the gym. I don’t think we have anyone on our staff that walks in and dreads seeing a player.

“It’s a happy place and that’s not a normal thing. Basketball season is long. So, I’m thankful to them for that and I think it has to do with who they are and their buy-in and their wanting to be here.”

When she met with the media, Caldwell added to her regular opening statement to talk about the death of Ike Morris, a major benefactor for Glenville State when she played and coached there in West Virginia.

“On Monday, my good friend Ike Morris passed away,” Caldwell said. “He was Glenville State’s biggest donor. He influenced my life in so many ways. He influenced so many lives in so many ways. His family has taken care of me since I was a freshman in college. And Ike made sure that we were competitive.

“When you’re a Division II coach, you don’t always get to get new uniforms every year. Sometimes you wear them for three years in a row, and they have armpit stains. He made sure that we got new uniforms every year. He made sure we were celebrated when we won.

“Division II, not every team gets the same amount of scholarships. He made sure we could compete. And that mattered to him. His funeral is today, and I can’t be there. But I wanted to say I love his family. I am praying for you. I miss everybody in the town of Glenville. And without Ike Morris and his family, I would not be standing where I am today.”

Caldwell’s full presser can be watched HERE.

Coach Kim Caldwell in the viewfinder on media day. (Tennessee Athletics)

The Lady Vols will host Florida A&M – coached by Lady Vol legend Bridgette Gordon – on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Fans who make it to the exhibition game or watch via livestream on SECN+ will see 15 new players. Based on interaction and social media, all 15 are grateful to be at Tennessee on a big stage, with top-notch facilities and enough gear to stuff a locker. It’s team that fans should be able to embrace.

“They should like that,” Caldwell said. “They should like that our players love Tennessee. They love to go to the football games. They love to go to the volleyball games. They support other teams. They are appreciative of everything they get. And we’re not giving them as much as we’ve given teams in the past. And they are thankful to go to Smokey’s (dining hall), which is an amazing resource for them.

“They love being a Lady Vol. They are very much like-minded with me of I appreciate being here every single day. I never thought I could be here, and I think that our team emulates that a little bit. I hope that the fan base gets to know them from your guys’ questions today and gets to see them next week play as hard as you’ve seen any of my teams play.”

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Maria M. Cornelius has worked in Knoxville media since 1988 and Lady Vols basketball since 1998. Author of “The Final Season: The Perseverance of Pat Summitt” and “The Legacy of Pat Summitt: Players, Colleagues, Family, and Friends Who Knew Her Best,” she covers Lady Vols sports for KnoxTNToday and 247Sports.