Tennessee volleyball falls 4 points short of NCAA Tournament first-round upset of Purdue

Tennessee volleyball battled until the fifth set but fell four points short of pulling off a first-round upset on Friday to advance to the NCAA Tournament second round.

The Lady Vols lost to No. 8 seed Purdue 3-2 at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena in Louisville, Kentucky. It was the second loss to Purdue this season for Tennessee (17-14), which lost to the Boilermakers 3-1 at home on Aug. 27.

“I think tonight was like a perfect way to describe almost the entire year," senior setter Natalie Hayward said. "We’ve been really good, and we’ve had our moments, but it’s kind of been just a roller coaster all year. I think we got better as the year went on with all that adversity ... They’re going to keep pushing, no matter if next year has more obstacles or not. That’s a part of the journey, but I think they’re going to be just fine.” 

It was a back-and-forth match all afternoon with each team winning every other of the first four sets. Tennessee won set one 25-14 and Purdue answered by winning set two 25-14. The next two sets were narrow wins with each team taking one by a score of 25-22.

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Purdue got off to a 4-0 start in the fifth set and Tennessee couldn't recover. The Boilermakers' offense hit another gear in the last set and sealed the win 15-11 to avoid the upset.

Senior right-side hitter Morgahn Fingall and sophomore outside hitter Erykah Lovett were key in the Lady Vols' near-win. Fingall had a game-high 25 kills and Lovett had a double-double (10 kills, 12 digs).

"The level of player she's become, one of the best opposites in the country, just carries us match after match," Tennessee coach Eve Rackham Watt said. "Not a lot of opposites are playing six rotations, and she's done that all year long. She's been a go-to for us, as well as one of our captains and leaders."

But the anchor through it all was senior setter Natalie Hayward, who tallied a game-high 48 assists, six blocks and three service aces. Hayward made the right plays at the right time and her consistency led Tennessee's strong offensive performance of 62 kills.

"I think she's one of the best setters in the country," Rackham Watt said. "There are not a lot of setters who do what she does in terms of her offensive production, her serving production, and her ability to set the ball. She came to us, she transferred to us and trusted us to help her become a better setter and we got so much more in return as a program. Just thankful for everything she did for us."

Freshman middle blocker Keondreya Granberry's development this season in Danielle Mahaffey's absence due to injury paid off for the Lady Vols despite the loss. Granberry had a 55.3% kill percentage and tallied nine kills and six blocks, and will be a key returner next season.

Friday's game marked Tennessee's second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and it's the first time it has made consecutive tournament appearances since 2011-12. The NCAA bid is the third under Rackham Watt. The Lady Vols have advanced to the second round in every other appearance under Rackham Watt.