Tennessee volleyball climbs into top 10 of AVCA rankings for first time since 2005

Tennessee volleyball has climbed into the top 10 of the American Volleyball Coaches Association rankings for the first time in almost two decades.

The Lady Vols (15-1, 6-0 SEC) began the season unranked, but have steadily climbed the rankings each week. Tennessee is now ranked No. 10, cracking the top 10 nationally for the first time since 2005.

UT has only dropped one game to No. 1 Wisconsin and will have a chance to add more ranked wins to its resume this week at home. The Lady Vols will face No. 22 Auburn on Friday (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) and No. 23 Kentucky on Sunday (5 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

Tennessee's offense is led by veteran hitters Morgahn Fingall and Jenaisya Moore and redshirt freshman setter Caroline Kerr, who has won SEC weekly awards for six weeks in a row. Kerr ranks fourth nationally and second in the SEC in assists per set (11.43) and has now won the most SEC weekly honors in Tennessee history in a single season (6).

Tennessee's 15-1 record is the program's best start to the season since going 18-1 in 2004, which is the same season the Lady Vols made a Final Four run. UT is perfect in SEC play, only two wins behind the program's best-ever start in league play in 2004 and 2011 (8-0).

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The Lady Vols have won in straight sets in 12 of their 15 wins, including five sweeps against SEC opponents and two against ranked teams. In their current 10-game winning streak, UT has only lost two sets.

Tennessee's offense is one of the best in the nation. It leads the country in kills per set (14.89) and ranks third in both assists per set (13.64) and hitting percentage (.318) – which both lead the SEC. The Lady Vols have also been able to rely on their serving, ranking eighth in the country in aces per set (2.11).