Vols Fall to Auburn, 3-2

Wednesday, October 4

Knoxville

8:00 PM

University of Tennessee

1-48-6 | SEC

Auburn

4-111-3 | SEC

Auburn

Tennessee

October 04, 2017 | Volleyball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF) | Match Highlights

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Junior Erica Treiber tallied a team-best 16 kills and Sedona Hansen added a career-best 27 digs but the Volunteers couldn't close out the Auburn Tigers in a 3-2 loss (22-25, 15-19, 18-25, 27-25, 11-15) on Wednesday night in Thompson-Boling Arena.

The decisive fifth set was a back-and-forth affair with the teams trading points before Auburn (11-3, 4-1 SEC) pulled ahead 10-7 with three consecutive kills. The teams exchanged points late in the set but the Tigers closed the match out with the last two kills to take the set, 15-11, and the match, 3-2.

Tennessee (8-6, 1-4 SEC) opened the first set with an 8-4 lead on the strength a kill from Alyssa Andreno and an ace from Callie Williams, but the Tigers fought back and tied the match at eight and used a 4-0 spurt to take a 12-9 lead. Kendra Turner stopped the run with a kill but Auburn held a 14-10 lead forcing the Vols to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, the home team used a 5-1 run to tie the game up, forcing an Auburn timeout. The remainder of the set was tight with neither team taking more than a two-point lead until the visitors closed the set with three of the final four points to take the first set, 25-22.

The second set mirrored the first set with UT taking an early 13-8 lead, one the Vols wouldn't relinquish the entire set. Tennessee was helped by strong blocking efforts from Erica Treiber and Olivia Schwamberger who combined for nine blocks through the first two sets. After hitting just .116 in the first set, the Big Orange hit much better in the second set, posting a .225 hitting percentage while holding Auburn to .083. The Vols closed the set with a block from Madison Coulter and Erica Treiber to take the set, 25-19.

Behind the arm of Courtney Crable and the serving of Peyton White, Auburn took an early 7-2 third-set lead forcing the Vols to call a timeout. The Lady Vols couldn't find a way to stop the Tigers as they extended their lead to 10-4 before a kill from Kendra Turner stopped the momentum which sparked a UT rally. Tennessee, once down 11-4, battled back to within a point at 15-14, before Auburn closed the set on a 10-4 run to take the set 25-18 and a 2-1 match lead

Auburn opened the fourth set with an ace - one of three in their first four points - and pulled ahead 5-2. UT battled back and with kills from Tessa Grubbs and Alyssa Andreno tied the game at six and from that point the teams matched each other point-for-point with neither team taking more than a two-point lead until late in the set. With the set tied at 20, the teams would see the score tied four more times before the Vols rallied to tie the match, 2-2, with a 27-25 fourth set win on a kill from Callie Williams, setting up the decisive fifth set.

The Lady Vols are back in action on Sunday when they take on the Alabama Crimson Tide at 1:30 pm from Thompson-Boling Arena.

MATCH NOTES