The teams will play around Thanksgiving, with the series opening game on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. ET. Game two is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m
TRANSMISSION INFO
Wednesday’s series opener will air on SECN, with Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Katie George (analyst) on the conference call. Fans can stream Friday’s game on SECN+ or via the ESPN app.
LAST TIME-OUT
UT and Mississippi State played a two-game series in Knoxville this past weekend, with Tennessee clinching the win in both games. The Lady Vols won the opening game 3-0 before beating the Bulldogs in five sets in the second game.
TRIPLE FUN
setter Natalie Hayward notched a triple-double — 10 kills, 61 assists and 14 digs — in Sunday’s game against MSU on Senior Day in her last home game as Lady Vol. It was Hayward’s first triple-double of his career and the first by a Lady Vol since Mary Pollmiller in 2012.
WEEKLY HONORS
Hayward was named SEC Player and Setter of the Week after her performance last week. Senior Morgan Fingall joined Hayward for SEC honors when she was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Week.
Over three games, Fingall averaged 4.75 kills per set, 5.25 points per set, and hit .394. She had two appearances with 20+ kills, including a career-high 29 kills against Mississippi State on Sunday.
GOOD AGAINST THE STIDE
head coach Eve Rackham Watts was successful against Alabama during her career and held a 6-1 mark. Tennessee recently won three straight wins over the Crimson Tide.
SWEEPS VILLE
Nine of the Lady Vols’ 16 wins this season have come in straight sets. Including last season, 23 of the last 36 have been wins by UT Sweeps.
The Lady Vols won both competitions against Alabama last season.
WINDICATORS
Tennessee is 13-4 if it hits better than .250 this season and 14-3 if it wins the second set. While Eve Rackham WattsUT’s tenure is 61-8 if it hits .250 or better.
Under Rackham Watt, the Lady Vols are 70-11 if they win the second set.
DISCOVER ALABAMA
Record 2022: 9-19 (3-13 SEC)
series record: UT leads 41-19
last meeting: Nov. 19, 2021 – A 3-0 win for Tennessee in Knoxville.
Key Player/Stat: Alabama leads the SEC in serving aces — ranked 9th nationally — with an average of 1.83 per set. Abby Marjama is leading the tide this season with 66 aces and a .67 per set average.
Alabama is led by Rashinda Reed, who is in her first season as head coach. No stranger to the SEC, Reed played for Georgia from 2002-04.
NEXT
Tennessee will gather at home in Knoxville to watch the 2022 NCAA volleyball selection show, which airs Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU.