The Volunteer Falcons are taking a road trip to take on the Tennessee Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Volunteer has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Last Monday, Volunteer strolled past Cherokee with points to spare, taking the game 60-42.
Emilee Mailloux
| 02/24/25 vs Cherokee | 6 |
| 02/22/25 vs Grainger | 3 |
| 02/06/25 vs Grainger | 5 |
| 02/04/25 vs Jefferson County | 3 |
| 02/03/25 @ Unicoi County | 1 |
| + 12 more games |
Volunteer's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Emilee Mailloux, who en route to 13 points in addition to six assists and six steals. That's the most steals Mailloux has posted since back in December of 2024. Courtney Bellamy was another key player, putting up 15 points along with five rebounds and four steals.
Volunteer smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cherokee only five offensive rebounds.
Meanwhile, Tennessee came up short against David Crockett on Monday and fell 60-53. While losing is never fun, the Vikings can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 152nd, while the Pioneers are ranked 17th).
Despite the loss, Tennessee saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Addie Wilhoit on her way to 24 points. Wilhoit's big performance that evening made it six games in a row in which she has scored at least 18 points. Another player making a difference was Jasmine Jones, who earned nine points and eight boards.
Tennessee has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 11-17 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.2 points over those games. Volunteer's record now sits at 15-17.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Volunteer has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 28.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Tennessee struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Volunteer suffered a grim 59-36 defeat to Tennessee in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. Can Volunteer avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
