KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The No. 16 Tennessee volleyball team is set to play its first true road match of the season against Queens in Charlotte, with the first serve at 5:30 p.m. ET. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, marking the first encounter between the teams.
Tennessee is coming off a three-set sweep of Coastal Carolina, improving their home record to 5-0, all by way of sweeps. Jalyn Stout led the team with a season-best 17 kills at a .400 hitting percentage, while Kennedi Rogers contributed 10 kills and four blocks. Jolene Oddo also shone with nine kills and three blocks. Caroline Kerr, the setter, recorded 40 assists, alongside eight digs and four kills, while the defense held Coastal Carolina to 26 kills at a .147 hitting percentage.
Queens enters with momentum from three straight home victories, including wins against Chattanooga, Buffalo, and Presbyterian. The Royals’ offense is spearheaded by Emma Norris (105 kills), Callie DeSchryver (87 kills), and Elizabeth Layson (78 kills). Two setters, Marlee Cook (165 assists) and Tyler Peluso (73 assists), help orchestrate their attack. DeSchryver also leads defensively with 90 digs, and Layni Tobias holds the team lead with 24 blocks.
Caroline Kerr, a fifth-year setter for Tennessee, has been pivotal this season, amassing 239 assists with an average of 11.38 assists per set, which ranks her sixth in Division I. Kerr is on track to become only the fourth Lady Vol to surpass 4,000 career assists and recently moved into fifth place in the program’s history with 3,498 assists.
Under head coach Eve Rackham Watt, Tennessee’s offense has been among the nation’s best, leading Division I with an average of 15.14 kills per set and ranking seventh in hitting percentage at .327. Over the past eight seasons, the Lady Vols have consistently placed in the top 20 for either category, showcasing their continued offensive prowess.
