Fingall, Lovett powers No. 24 Lady Vols past San Diego

SAN DIEGO – A strong effort across the board helped No. 24 Tennessee earn the big road win in four sets (25-17, 25-20, 18-25, 25-17) against San Diego on Thursday night at Jenny Craig Pavilion.

“I thought San Diego was really good,” head coach Eve Rackham Watt said. “They definitely exposed some things, which is what I was hoping would happen. I was proud of our resiliency, especially after the third set. We didn’t play very well, and it was served pretty tough. That showed. San Diego was able to do what it wanted to do. For us to respond in the fourth set the way that we did on the road, I thought that was a big step for this team. We learned a lot about ourselves, and I was happy with the way we competed even when things weren’t going well. We continued to come together to make positive things happen, and I am proud of our effort.”

Graduate right-side hitter Morgahn Fingall and junior outside hitter Erykah Lovett both recorded double-doubles to lead the Lady Vols (4-0). Fingall tallied 16 kills, 13 digs, three assists and three blocks, while Lovett added 16 kills, 13 digs, one assist and one block. Both players finished with a hitting percentage above .325.

Redshirt freshman setter Caroline Kerr narrowly missed the double-double, finishing with season bests in assists (38) and digs (9) to go along with two kills. Graduate outside hitter Jenaisya Moore eclipsed double-digit kills for the third match in a row with 10, while graduate libero Yelianiz Torres held down the back line with 13 digs and seven assists. Sophomore middle blocker Keondreya Granberry posted seven kills and six blocks on the night.

The Lady Vols out hit San Diego (0-4) .242 to .158 in the match, highlighted by strong first and fourth sets that went for better than .300. UT also recorded nine team blocks and six aces during the victory.

After going back and forth throughout the first set, Tennessee ended the frame on a 7-2 run to win the set 25-17 and take the early lead. Lovett went for five kills to pace the Big Orange offensive attack that hit for .314. Defensively, UT recorded four team blocks in the set and held the Toreros to just .036 hitting percentage.

After being tied 17-17 in the second set, the Lady Vols used an 8-3 run to close out the frame. During one seven-point stretch for UT, Lovett scored four of the points with three kills and an ace to give UT the momentum late. By the end of the set, she already boasted a double-double after going for five kills and four digs in the frame.

Fingall earned her double-double during the third set after recorded three kills on the Big Orange’s first nine points. After the Toreros rallied with a 16-6 run to take an eight-point advantage in the frame, the Lady Vols rattled off four points in a row, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit. USD hit for .333 in the frame.

Tennessee bounced back strong in the fourth set, jumping out to a quick 4-1 lead and never trailing the entire frame. Fingall and Lovett combined for nine kills in the set, while Granberry stepped up big with three of her seven kills and three of her six blocks coming in during the final frame.

The Big Orange hit for .394 in the set to coast to the victory. Up next, the Lady Vols round out the USD Invitational on Friday night with a matchup against Boston College. First serve will be at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, and the match will be streamed on ESPN+.