The Lady Vols will seek to get back in the win column in the second game of SEC play against another top 10 opponent after dropping a five-set match against Texas a week ago at home.

No. 11 Tennessee (9-2, 0-1) will square off with No. 7 Florida (10-1, 1-0) in Gainesville tonight, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. with a livestream on SECN+. The Lady Vols will stay on the road and play at Auburn (11-2, 1-0) on Oct. 4 with match time at 3 p.m. Eastern that also will be livestreamed on SECN+.

Tennessee is one of five teams in the SEC ranked in the top 25 – the others are No. 3 Kentucky, No. 8 Texas and No. 14 Texas A&M – with Vanderbilt and Georgia receiving votes.

Last week’s loss was especially tough because the Lady Vols won the first two sets before the Longhorns took the next three. All of the sets were close, but Tennessee couldn’t close the gap to get the win.

“It’s disappointing to be up two zero at home in front of that kind of crowd and not come out with a win,” coach Eve Rackham Watt said. “What I told them is honestly I felt like we got out-ball-controlled, and that hasn’t been us all year long. Our first and second contact have been so good. That was uncharacteristic of us and frustrating to watch as the match went on.”

The volleyball program set another record in 2026 with 9,226 fans in attendance, surpassing the previous record of 8,212 on Sept. 1 against Illinois.

“I’m so appreciative of the fans coming out, the students, the community, everybody who was here,” Rackham Watt said. “We’re so fortunate. It’s so cool to see what we’ve built. It’s amazing to see the support we’ve gained. We knew it was going to be a lot of people, and I’m glad that it was a great volleyball match to watch.”

The team practiced in Gainesville on Thursday and had some fun, too.

The Lady Vols will be back at home for matches against Ole Miss on Friday, Oct. 9, and LSU on Sunday, Oct. 11.

Tennessee ranks in the top 10 nationally in kills per set (14.47, sixth place) and hitting percentage (.298, 10th).

Against the Longhorns, Caroline Kerr recorded 45 assists and 15 digs. Kennedi Rogers posted a team-high 16 kills and career-best 12 digs, and Chelsea Sutton had a career-high nine blocks and 12 kills. Raegan Burns and Jalyn Stout finished with 13 digs apiece.

Fans can meet Kerr, Rogers and Sutton on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Hardwood BBQ located in South Knoxville at 2014 Gov. John Sevier Highway. Purchase a meal, play corn hole, enter a raffle to win free volleyball tickets and talk to the players in a casual setting from 6-8:30 p.m.

SOFTBALL

Fans can see the softball team again tonight, Oct. 2, with another fall ball exhibition game at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. Since rules are loose in the fall and games don’t count, Tennessee and Carson-Newman will play 10 innings.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m., and gates open at 5 p.m. As always, admission is free for fall contests. Restrooms will be open, but concessions are not available.

Tennessee won both games last weekend – 15-1 win over Walters State and 10-1 over Lipscomb.

GET LIT

This author, Alexis Hornbuckle and R.B. Summitt walk into a church …

That will happen Thursday, Oct. 15, at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Knoxville at 413 W. Cumberland Ave., at 7 p.m. with free admission.

The church hosts “Get Lit at the Cathedral” events with authors and other literary endeavors. In this case, this author/moderator, Hornbuckle and R.B. Summitt will discuss the legacy of the late Pat Summitt and take questions from the audience.

Copies of the 10th anniversary edition of “The Final Season” will be available for sale by UT Press, and preorders can be taken for “The Legacy of Pat Summitt,” which will be released in hardback on Nov. 17.

The anniversary edition includes a new foreword by Candace Parker, two new chapters about how players and coaches told Pat Summitt goodbye in her final days and the funeral service, and a new afterword by the author about her mother, Rosalie Cornelius, who died of Alzheimer’s disease in 2024.

Come get lit with us.

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Maria M. Cornelius began writing about the Lady Vols in 1998. In 2016, she published her first book, “The Final Season: The Perseverance of Pat Summitt,” through The University of Tennessee Press and a 10th anniversary edition was released June 16, 2026. A third book, “The Legacy of Pat Summitt” will be released Nov. 17, 2026.