Wednesday preview: Kentucky at Tennessee headlines a seven-match night

Seven Division I matches tonight, led by an SEC meeting of two top-10 teams in our power ratings, plus two rematches and a Lindenwood team that hasn't lost at home.

There are seven Division I matches tonight, all in conference play. Here’s what to watch, with each team’s numbers from the season so far. Times are Eastern. (Southern also hosts Dillard, a non-Division I opponent, at 7.)

Kentucky at Tennessee, 7:00 (SEC)

The best match of the night is two of the top 10 teams in our power ratings: Kentucky is No. 4 and Tennessee No. 9.

Kentucky has won four straight since its five-set loss at Florida, including road wins at Oklahoma and Arkansas last weekend. It is 6-3 away from home. Brooklyn Deleye carries the offense with 4.34 kills per set, and she also leads the team with 32 aces. Morgan Gaerte adds 3.61 kills per set at .278. Libero Molly Tuozzo passes 67.6% good.

Tennessee has won five straight, all but one in three sets, and is 9-1 at home. It has the better numbers on both sides of the net: it hits .289, holds opponents to .169 and passes 59.6% good, the best of any team on tonight’s slate. Kennedi Rogers averages 4.14 kills per set, opposite Jalyn Stout hits .383, and Chelsea Sutton blocks 1.11 balls per set.

Kentucky won both meetings last season, 3-1 each time.

What’s at stake: Kentucky is one of the four projected No. 1 seeds in our Bracketology and gets a top-four seed in 62% of simulations, with Wisconsin (53%) right behind. Tennessee hosts the first two rounds in 65% of our simulations, right on the host line. A home win over a top-four RPI team would do more for that number than anything else left on its schedule.

Florida Atlantic at South Florida, 6:00 (American)

Florida Atlantic (13-6, 6-2) has won four straight. The first three went five sets, at Temple, at East Carolina and against Tulane, before a sweep of Charlotte on Sunday. Olivia Hart leads with 195 kills, and middles Anna Hartman (.358) and Sequoia Layne (.305) give FAU efficient options in the middle.

South Florida (5-13, 4-4) has the opposite problem in close matches: it is 0-4 in five-setters, three of those in its last four matches. Paula Tomasa averages 3.36 kills per set. USF passes better than FAU (53.0% good to 47.0%) but hits .174 to FAU’s .247.

The teams split last season, each winning at home.

SIU Edwardsville at Lindenwood, 7:00 (OVC)

Lindenwood (17-3, 7-1) is 4-0 at home and has lost only three times all season: at Buffalo, at Illinois and at Southeast Missouri. Three players have at least 196 kills: Susanna Beretti (231), Lauren Ortwerth (205) and Autumn Bax (196). Lindenwood wins the OVC’s automatic bid in 61% of our simulations.

SIUE (5-13, 3-3) is 0-8 on the road. It swept Lindenwood on the road last season and won the rematch at home, 3-1.

Alabama A&M at Alabama State, 7:00 (SWAC)

This is a rematch from Oct. 2, when Alabama A&M won 3-0 at home. A&M (13-8, 6-1) is 4-1 in five-set matches and gets the SWAC’s automatic bid in 70% of our simulations, the best of any team in the league. Rayishon Jackman leads with 221 kills and 30 aces.

Alabama State (4-16, 2-5) is 0-11 away from home but has won its last two at home. Kaylen Hines averages 3.16 kills per set at .268, and libero Mirra Riddle averages 4.64 digs per set. The Hornets won both meetings last season.

Central Arkansas at Austin Peay, 7:00 (UAC)

Another rematch: Central Arkansas won the first meeting 3-2 on Sept. 26. The Bears (6-12, 6-2) have won four straight, three of them in five sets, and are 4-0 in five-setters this season. Ella Chaney leads with 147 kills.

Austin Peay (10-11, 2-6) has lost four straight, two of them in five sets. Libero Reagan Anderson has 645 receptions, 5.43 digs per set and 35 aces. Austin Peay holds opponents to a .166 hitting percentage, the lowest of any team playing tonight, but hits only .191 itself.

Lamar at Northwestern State, 7:30 (Southland)

Northwestern State (12-11, 4-4) runs its offense through Elsie Sanchez Oliver, who has 787 attacks, the most of any player in tonight’s matches, and 250 kills. Middle Olivia Nzioki adds 213 kills at .251. Lamar (6-15, 3-5) leans on Maja Malinowska, who averages 3.41 kills per set. Lamar swept Northwestern State in their only meeting last season.

Stephen F. Austin at East Texas A&M, 7:30 (Southland)

SFA (12-9, 6-2) is two games behind unbeaten UT Rio Grande Valley in the Southland and gets the automatic bid in 29% of our simulations. Katherine Holtman (215 kills, .236) and Avery Koonsen (213 kills) split the offense. SFA is 7-4 on the road.

East Texas A&M (9-12, 3-5) snapped a four-match losing streak with a sweep at Nicholls on Saturday. Ariana Brown has 237 kills and 28 aces. SFA swept both meetings last season.

The fine print

Records are official results through Tuesday. The hitting, passing and per-set numbers come from our charted matches. Bracket odds are from the latest Bracketology run, which updates after tonight’s results.

Numbers as of 2026-11-09 11:04.