The Bucs volleyball squad took the court in Knoxville, Tenn., Aug. 28., when they visited the University of Tennessee Volunteers looking for back-to-back wins after a strong win against the Wolfpack of NC State the day before.
Day one of the Tennessee Classic saw the Bucs split their record 1-1. Dropping their first match with Texas Tech defeating the Bucs 3-0. The Bucs bounced back in their next matchup vs NC State, winning 3-0, giving the Bucs their seventh Power-5 win since 2017.
The Bucs, riding momentum from their win the day before, looked to keep the intensity high against the in-state foe Tennessee Vols.
Set 1 started even as both teams would find success early, however, an 8-0 run by the Vols would seem to steal the momentum for themselves. The Vols won the set 25-12 with the Bucs only earning seven kills to Tennessee’s 19.
Set 2 saw the Vols take a dominant lead early, going up 9-4. The Bucs attempted a comeback in this set as they closed the lead, but the Vols’ aggressiveness proved to be unsurmountable for the Bucs. Although the Bucs topped the Vols in kills 10-9, the Vols took the second set 25-16.
Set 3: The Bucs found themselves down early as the Vols took another demanding lead after the Bucs took the first point of the set. The Vols would go on a 6-0 run, eventually winning the set 25-14 and securing a 3-0 win for the Vols. The Bucs now have a 3-19 all-time record vs the Volunteers following the weekend loss.
The Bucs, now (1-2) on the season, had their ups and downs over the weekend. Outside Hitter, Josannah Vazquez (Mansfield, Texas) earned a spot on the all-tournament team in her debut weekend with the team.
The Bucs will be looking to correct their woes on the road when they play head to Boone, N.C for the Black and Gold challenge where they will face off against Old Dominion on Sep. 3.
