The University of Tennessee volleyball team saw four of its members attain AVCA Division I All-American mention with junior setter Julie Knytych attaining third team honors. Senior outside hitter Michelle Piantadosi, junior middle blocker Kristen Andre and junior outside hitter Amy Morris earned honorable mention.
Knytych had a spectacular season, recording 1,709 assists, the second-highest total in SEC history (trailing only former Florida setter Jennifer Sanchez’s 1998 season total of 1,745) and a school record. She helped the Lady Vols record a team record 1,916 helpers. The junior was also the only Lady Vol to see action in all 125 games for the Big Orange, assisting the Orange and White to a .261 hitting percentage, the second-highest average in school history.
Piantadosi ended her Lady Vol career in successful fashion, hitting .271 with 3.56 kills/game, the second-highest average on the team. She had her two highest career kill totals in arguably the two biggest matches of the season: tallying 26 in both UT’s historic 30-21, 23-30, 25-30, 31-29, 15-12 victory at Florida on Nov. 14, ending the Gators’ NCAA-record SEC regular-season 145-match winning streak, and in Friday’s 29-31, 27-30, 30-16, 30-26, 15-12 loss to Ohio State in the NCAA regional semifinals.
Andre led the Big Orange in both hitting percentage (.371) and kills/game (3.71). Her .371 hitting percentage places her third in the SEC this season and on the all-time Lady Vol charts. In the first week of the season, Andre hit .414 with 4.07 kills/game and earned Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week accolades in UT’s season-opening victories over Villanova (25-30, 30-26, 30-26, 30-24), Duke (30-27, 31-29, 30-28) and Loyola Marymount (30-24, 30-19, 30-22).
Morris recorded the second-highest dig total (435) in Big Orange history, trailing only Stephanie Ehlers’ 1988 campaign (445). She tallied the most digs by a Lady Vol this season (31) in UT’s 3-2 victory at Florida on Nov. 14. The versatile player also recorded the fourth-most kills/game for the Lady Vols (3.19) and had 17 double-doubles.
The four honorees helped lead the Lady Vols to their best season in school history, 32-3 (.914 winning percentage), and NCAA advancement to the regional semifinals. Tennessee claimed a co-SEC regular season championship, its first regular-season title in school history, along with an SEC Tournament title, the squad’s first in 20 seasons. The Lady Vols are currently ranked No. 9 in the latest USA Today/CSTV Coaches Top 25 poll, its highest placing in school history. The final poll will be released following this weekend’s national finals and championship match.

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