No. 2 seed Texas (24-5, 13-1 Big 12) defeated No. 3 Tennessee (26-5, 15-3 SEC), 25-19, 20-25, 23-25, 26-24, 16-14, Thursday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, California.
Thursday’s loss ended Tennessee’s season.
Graduate student Morgaahn Fingall totaled 24 kills and six blocks, while Jenaisya Moore recorded 13 kills and 11 digs for Tennessee.
Redshirt freshman Caroline Kerr was Tennessee’s leading passer, recording a career-high 56 assists. The match represented the fifth time she totaled at least 50 assists this season.
Libero Makenzie Plante recorded a career-high 15 digs, while Raeven Chase totaled 12 kills and two blocks for the Lady Vols.
Tennessee advanced to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2005 and hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.