Tennessee
Tennessee volleyball loses five-set thriller against Georgia Tech in NCAA Tournament first round
Tennessee volleyball coach Eve Rackham Watt on ranked win over UCLA
Tennessee volleyball coach Eve Rackham Watt talks about the No. 17 Lady Vols’ ranked win over No. 25 UCLA on Sept. 5, 2024
Tennessee volleyball couldn’t replicate its historic NCAA Tournament run from last season, falling to No. 7 Georgia Tech in the first round Thursday.
The Lady Vols’ season ended in a heartbreaker that went to extra points multiple times during the five-set thriller in Madison, Wisconsin. They were mere points away from the upset, falling 15-12 in the fifth set. Georgia Tech survived to win 3-2 and advance to the second round.
Nina Cajic was excellent for Tennessee (15-12), logging a team-high 27 kills in the final match of her college career. The graduate outside hitter came up with kill after kill when the Lady Vols needed a response. Her 25th of the night delivered the win to force a fifth set against the Yellow Jackets (21-9).
Setter Caroline Kerr ended the night with 57 assists, 13 digs and four kills. Cajic added 11 digs and six blocks to her kills, and freshman outside hitter Paityn Chapman had 13 kills and four blocks.
Cajic, a transfer from Towson, shined when it mattered most when the third and fourth sets both went to extra points.
Tennessee came back from down 18-12 in the third set to take a 19-18 lead. After that, the third and fourth sets were grueling back-and-force battles. Georgia Tech came out on top of the third set, winning 32-30 to take a 2-1 lead. But Cajic came up big for the Lady Vols, which responded to win the fourth set 28-26.
Tennessee dominated the second set after dropping a close first set. It led by 21-9 at one point in the second set, and Georgia Tech didn’t have an answer for Cajic, who scored the set-winning point with a service ace. Tennessee won the second set 25-13 to even the score 1-1.
This was the Lady Vols’ fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance under coach Eve Rackham Watt, who’s in her seventh season at the helm. It was the 19th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
Tennessee made a historic run in the NCAA Tournament last season, hosting the opening rounds as a No. 3 seed, beating High Point and Western Kentucky to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005. The Lady Vols fell in a five-set thriller to eventual champion Texas in the Sweet 16.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
One of the Tennessee Titans’ biggest bright spots across the 2024 season was the emergence of rookie defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, who burst onto the scene as an instant impact player on the team’s front seven during his first year pro.
And now, as he enters his sophomore campaign, Sweat is clearly feeling both confident and excited for the season ahead, ready to make a big jump from his year one efforts.
“I’m very excited to go into my second year,” Sweat said during Titans OTAs. “I feel a lot more comfortable playing this game, especially in my second year in this league. I’m ready. It’s going to be good, man.”
Sweat was the Titans’ 38th-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Texas and came out of the gates as one of the best rookie contributors on Tennessee’s otherwise bumpy season.
Through 17 games and 16 starts, Sweat put together 51 combined tackles, four TFLs, along with a forced fumble and fumble recovery, both of which came from Tennessee’s Week 13 contest vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.
And now heading into year two, Sweat has the outlook for another impactful season on the horizon. He’ll be starting on the Titans’ defensive front once again next to Jeffery Simmons and Sebastian Joseph-Day, but will look to be a part of a much better pass rush and run defense than their season prior. In 2024, Tennessee was ranked top ten in the NFL for rushing yards allowed, and in the bottom three for sacks, pressures, and hurries.
For the Titans to lift above their three wins from last season, it’ll likely have to come with a much more consistent force in their front seven across the year ahead. But, with a young, imposing presence like Sweat preparing for a big year two, it could make life a lot easier for Tennessee within their defensive trenches.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
Expert opinion: Arkansas reporter previews super regional vs. Tennessee
Tennessee baseball and Arkansas are set to meet in Fayetteville for a spot in the 2025 College World Series.
Before the super regional gets underway this Saturday, I spoke with HawgBeat publisher Kyle Sutherland to get his thoughts on the matchup.
Here’s what he said.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
What’s it been like for Arkansas since the Tennessee series?
“About as good of a rebound that you could ask in the regional after a one-and-done showing in the SEC Tourney. Mistakes early did them in against Ole Miss, then they outscored North Dakota State and Creighton, twice, 26-6 that included 10 total HR in a complete performance across the board.”
Do you think it plays into either team’s favor that there’s a recent meeting late in the year?
“Of course anytime you have previously played, especially within a couple of weeks, you’re going to know some things about each other but feel like both are really just more concerned about doing what they do best.
“One thing that I will be watching, I don’t feel like Liam will have two tough outings in a row. Especially with how he looked on Monday night.”
How big of an advantage will Arkansas playing at home be?
“Arkansas’ record at Baum-Walker speaks for itself, but despite that or DVH’s advantage record-wise over Tony V, you have to throw all of that out of the window when two great teams are fighting for a trip to Omaha. Plus, Tennessee is trying to defend its national title and Arkansas wanting to end that run in front of the home crowd adds to the spice.”
Is there any extra buzz about it being Arkansas’ year with it already being the highest seed left?
“For the fans, no question about it. I am sure in the players’ minds there is maybe a little bit too with all that is up for grabs, but successful teams focus solely on the next pitch and I think that is what you have with both of these clubs.
“But as far as the hype for Arkansas, I think most fans are not going to be fully satisfied until they win the big one. Literally everything else has been accomplished and three other SEC programs winning their first ever national title since the 2018 debacle just adds to the frustration.”
Who are the hot hands in the postseason for the Hawgs?
“C Ryder Helfrick (.545 BA, 3 HR, 4 RBI) got MVP of the Fayetteville Regional and six other Hogs were selected to the All-Tournament team. SEC Player of the Year SS Wehiwa Aloy hit two HR, plus RF Logan Maxwell and 2B Cam Kozeal also hit two over the weekend.
“Frankly, it’s hard to find a weakness. Leadoff LF Charles Davalan has been huge all year, even 9-hole CF Justin Thomas Jr. hit a HR over the weekend and has been pretty good covering center. Then you look at pitching, the bullpen has been nails but starting wise past Zach Root and Gage Wood it’s shaky.”
The Tennessee Titans are seeing a former player of theirs leave his latest spot in the NFL.
The San Francisco 49ers announced that they have cut offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere. The move came after the team signed wide receiver Malik Knowles and moved pass rusher Josh Huff to the team’s roster after passing his physical.
Petit-Frere signed a contract with the Niners on May 9, shortly after he was cut by the Titans. However, his time with the 49ers wasn’t meant to last.
Petit-Frere was a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, where he was expected to be a big-time contributor for the Titans. However, he ended up becoming a bust.
He started 16 games in his rookie season, but things began to go downhill going into 2023. He violated the league’s anti-gambling policy while also dealing with injuries, resulting in just three appearances in 2023.
In 2024, Petit-Frere lost his starting job early in the season and was never able to recover, leading to his release back in April shortly before the draft.
Petit-Frere will look to catch on elsewhere going into the new season.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
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