No. 6 Tennessee volleyball traveled to College Station, Texas, to face No. 17 Texas A&M Friday night. The Lady Vols went to work without the reigning Southeastern Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week, middle blocker Chelsea Sutton.

According to a Tennessee volleyball spokesperson, Sutton sustained an injury during Tennessee’s win over Vanderbilt Sunday. She was a game-time decision for Friday night and will be reevaluated for the Lady Vols’ match at Missouri Sunday.

Sutton earned the weekly honor Monday after hitting .419 and averaging 2.33 kills and 2.72 points per set in wins over then-No. 4 Kentucky and then-No. 22 Vanderbilt. She led the Lady Vols with 14 kills on a .538 hitting percentage in the reverse sweep of Kentucky, then added seven kills and four blocks against the Commodores. With the fourth set tied at 19 Sunday, Sutton came up with two straight blocks to help Tennessee pull away.

The 6-foot-4 junior leads Tennessee with 70 total blocks and 1.27 blocks per set this season. She also has 114 kills on a .376 hitting percentage.

Sutton dealt with an injury early in the season as well. After the Vanderbilt match, head coach Eve Rackham Watt said Sutton had been one of the team’s most improved players as she got healthier.

“I certainly think Chelsea Sutton, as she’s gotten healthier, has really improved,” Rackham Watt said. “Obviously she was a tremendous player, but we didn’t have the same version of her early just because of the injury. So she’s been able to get back a little bit closer to full strength.”

Sutton’s absence sparked a start for Camille Perry in the middle, along with Anni Tang rotating in as well. Perry has made the most of limited action this season, with 19 kills on a .382 percentage and 10 total blocks in 19 sets. Tang has seen more time, posting 42 kills and 39 total blocks across 40 sets.

Tennessee entered Friday 16-3 overall and 7-2 in SEC play, riding a seven-match win streak and its highest ranking since finishing No. 6 in 2005.

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