KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A competitive three-set match Sunday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena saw the LSU volleyball team come up short versus No. 10 Tennessee, 25-21, 25-23, 25-13.
With the loss, LSU falls to 7-8 and 2-4 in SEC play, while Tennessee improves to 12-3 and 3-2 in league play.
Tennessee rallied behind a 12-4 run to conclude the opening set with a 25-21 victory. LSU led for the majority of the second set, but another 6-1 rally gave the Lady Vols an 18-15 lead that they would not surrender, winning the second set 25-23, despite LSU fighting off three set points. LSU fell behind early in the third set, and Tennessee sealed the frame with a 25-13 victory.
LSU hit .245 in the match on 34 kills and had 7.0 blocks. Tennessee registered 50 kills on a .333 hitting percentage and had six aces.
Outside hitter Jurnee Robinson led LSU with 15 kills on a .323 hitting percentage and had one block and eight digs. Pin hitters Samara Coleman and Camryn Jeffery each had six kills, while Jeffery was one of three LSU Tigers with multiple blocks, finishing with two.
Middle blocker Sanaa Donaie had a match-high four blocks, including two solo blocks, and landed five hills. Middle blocker Jessica Jones had three blocks in the loss.
Setter Lauren Brooker finished with 29 assists and had one ace, one block, and one kill, and libero Kiley Brooks had a team-high nine digs.
SET 1
LSU captured its first lead of the match at 8-7 after a solo block from Donaie, and the Lady Vols called a timeout trailing 11-8 with LSU on an overall 5-1 run. The Tigers stretched their lead to 17-13 when Tennessee exhausted its final timeout of the set. The Lady Vols responded by tying the set at 18 before regaining the lead at 21-20 and claimed the first set 25-21, scoring 12 of the final 16 points of the set.
SET 2
Kills by Jones and Robinson gave LSU the first two points of the frame and held a 15-14 advantage at the media timeout. Tennessee took its first lead at 16-15, and another kill urged LSU to take a timeout down 17-15 with the Lady Vols on a 3-0 run. Tennessee took a three-point lead at 20-17 when LSU used its final timeout. LSU fought off three set points to pull within one point, but Tennessee took a 2-0 match lead with the 25-23 win.
SET 3
Tennessee jumped out to a 10-3 lead highlighted by a 4-0 run to open the set and led 15-9 at the media timeout. The Lady Vols grew their lead to double figures and secured the win with a 25-13 win.
UP NEXT
LSU returns to the Maravich Center to face South Carolina on Oct. 16, and Georgia on Oct. 18.
For the latest news and information on Tiger volleyball, visit www.lsusports.net/volleyball. Fans can follow the team on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lsuvolleyball and @lsuvolleyball on Instagram and X.