TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A difficult day at the dish with runners in scoring position and a number of timely hits from No. 3 Alabama, was too much for the No. 21 Tennessee softball team to overcome in a 7-1 loss on Saturday at Rhoads Stadium.
The result evened the series between UT (21-4, 2-3 SEC) and Alabama (23-2, 4-1 SEC), setting up a rubber match on Sunday afternoon.
The Orange & White struggled with runners on base, finishing the afternoon, 0-for-13, when there was a runner anywhere around the diamond.
Alabama also capitalized on each of its opportunities, scoring in each of the days final four innings.
Senior Amanda Ayala, was the lone Lady Vol to finish the day with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate. Ayala is now 5-for-8 in the series heading into Sunday’s showdown.
Sophomore Kiki Milloy went 1-for-2 and scored Tennessee’s only run following a bit of effective base running.
The Lady Vols opened the scoring in the second with a run manufactured by Milloy. The Woodinville, Washington native reached on an infield single, stole second during the ensuing at-bat. Advanced to third on a groundout from Ally Shipman and later scored on a wild pitch while Madison Webber was at the dish.
Over an inning later, the Crimson Tide knotted things up at 1-1 on an RBI single from Kaylee Tow.
Bama added a pair of runs in the fourth after loading the bases and Bailey Hemphill delivered a solo shot in the fifth to put the Tide up 4-1 heading into the final two innings of the afternoon.
The Crimson Tide plated a trio of runs in the home half of the sixth, before ending the Lady Vols final comeback bid in the seventh to close the afternoon.
UP NEXT
Alabama and Tennessee conclude the weekend series with a 2 p.m. ET first pitch from Rhoads Stadium tomorrow afternoon. All the action can be seen on ESPNU.
ATHENS, Ga. — No. 10 Tennessee was unable to hang on to a late lead, falling 5-4 to No. 7 Georgia on Saturday afternoon at Foley Field in Athens.
A walk-off two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth gave the Bulldogs their first SEC win of the year and evened the series at one game apiece. Tate drove in three of UGA’s five runs for the game.
Liam Spence was once again the Vols’ top hitter with two hits and two runs scored. Jake Rucker led the team with two RBI after hitting a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the seventh.
Senior pitcher Will Heflin got the start and gave Tennessee 3.1 solid innings before turning it over to the bullpen. Heflin allowed one run and had two strikeouts on the day.
For the second day in a row, the Vols (16-4 // 1-1 SEC) struck first with a pair of runs in the first inning. Spence reached on an error to start the game and Pete Derkay followed with a double to put runners on second and third with no outs. Drew Gilbert singled two batters later to score Spence before Derkay came in to score on a walk by Luc Lipcius to make it 2-0.
The Bulldogs (14-4 // 1-1 SEC) pulled within one on a sacrifice fly from Tate in the third that scored Shane Marshall, who led off the inning with a single.
After a missed opportunity for the Vols to add to their lead in the fifth, Georgia put together a two-out rally to score two runs in the sixth and take its first lead off the series.
Tennessee responded immediately with two runs of its own in the seventh to retake the lead. Spence continued his big weekend with a single to lead things off before Rucker hit a two-run blast to left field to put the Vols ahead 4-3. It was the second homer of the series for Rucker after hitting a grand slam in Friday’s 11-6 win.
Closer Redmond Walsh was able to strand the tying run on base to end the eighth but surrendered two unearned runs in the ninth to pick up his first loss of the year.
Georgia’s first two batters reached base to start the inning after an infield single and a throwing error by Walsh on a sacrifice bunt attempt. A groundout by Marshall advanced both runners into scoring position, but Ben Anderson popped up for out No. 2. However, Tate’s single one batter later scored both runners to end the game.
The Vols will look to win the series in tomorrow’s rubber game. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on SEC Network Plus.
NOTABLE
Another Big Hit for Jake: During his three seasons with UT, junior third baseman Jake Rucker has shown a propensity for coming up with the big hit. The Greenbrier, Tennessee, native came up clutch once again on Saturday with a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh right after Georgia had taken a one run lead an inning earlier. It was the second home run of the series for Rucker and his third of the season.
Spence Keeps Hitting: With two more hits on Saturday, senior shortstop Liam Spence extended his on-base streak to 23 consecutive games. The Australian has a hit in 11 of his last 13 contests and is 5-for-9 with five runs, a homer, two walks and four RBI so far in the series.
ATHENS, Ga. — Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello earned career win No. 100 as the 10th-ranked Volunteers jumped out to a big early lead to take down No. 7 Georgia, 11-6, in Friday night’s SEC opener at Foley Field in Athens.
The Vols (16-3 // 1-0 SEC) led 9-0 after four innings and never looked back to open conference play with a win for the second time in three SEC seasons under Vitello.
Liam Spence and Jake Rucker combined to drive in nine of the team’s 11 runs while Evan Russell and Jordan Beck also had multi-hit performances. Spence was the driving force behind the Vols offensive onslaught with three hits, three runs, two walks and four RBI, all of which tied career highs.
Playing in his first-career SEC game, the senior shortstop started the night with a bang as he homered to left field to lead off the game. It was the first leadoff homer by UT since Justin Ammons hit one at Vanderbilt on March 29, 2019.
Tennessee keep the pressure on with two more runs in the third on RBI singles from Rucker and Beck to make it 3-0 before exploding for six runs in the fourth to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
Russell led off the fourth with a triple before Georgia pitcher Liam Sullivan walked four straight batters to allow two more runs to cross the plate. Rucker made a bad inning even worse for Sullivan with a grand slam to put the Vols up by nine. The Greenbrier, Tennessee, native finished with a career-best five runs batted in on the night.
UT starter Chad Dallas cruised through the first four innings, allowing just one hit, but ran into trouble in the fifth and sixth, allowing five runs between the two innings. The junior right hander improved to 3-0 on the year despite giving up six runs on nine hits. He did tie a career high with nine strikeouts and pitched much better than his final stat line indicates.
The Bulldogs (13-4 // 0-1 SEC) broke up the shutout with two runs in the bottom of the fifth after loading the bases with one out. A single by Fernando Gonzalez and an RBI groundout by Ben Anderson cut the deficit to seven runs before Dallas struck out Cole Tate to strand two runners on base and end the inning.
After a bases-loaded walk by Spence in the top of the sixth made it 10-2, Georgia responded with a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning that featured RBI hits from Riley King and Parks Harber. The Bulldogs plated three runs in the inning to make it a 10-5 ball game.
The Dawgs scratched another run across in the seventh to cut its deficit to four. Cole Tate singled with one out and worked his way around the bases before scoring on a wild pitch to make it a 10-6 game. UT reliever Sean Hunley got Josh McAllister to strike out swinging to end the inning and limit the damage to just a single run.
Spence kept his big night going with another RBI in the top of the eighth to put the Vols back ahead by five. After an error extended the inning, Spence doubled to the corner in right field to score Connor Pavolony from second and make it 11-6.
Hunley took it home from there, retiring the Bulldogs in order in the final two innings to crush any hope of a late comeback. The senior right hander did not allow a hit and struck out four batters in 2.2 innings of relief.
The Vols will look to secure a series win tomorrow afternoon in Game 2 of the series. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on SEC Network Plus.
NOTABLE
Vitello Becomes Fastest to 100 Wins: Fourth-year skipper Tony Vitello became the fastest head coach in program history to win 100 career games with the Vols, overtaking legendary coach Rod Delmonico’s mark of 163 games. Vitello needed just 153 games to accomplish the feat.
Offense Continues to Roll: UT’s bats stayed hot in Friday’s series opener in Athens finishing with 11 runs on 11 hits for the night. The Vols have now scored nine or more runs in their last four games while finishing with double-digit hits in four of their last five contests.
Four players had multi-hit games and seven Vols scored at least one run, led by Spence and Connor Pavolony, who both scored three to tie career highs. Tennessee drew 12 walks on Friday night, their second most in a game this season.
Spence Leadoff Jack: Tennessee literally wasted no time getting the scoring started, as Liam Spence led off the game with a home run. The Australian’s blast was the first leadoff homer by a Vol since Justin Ammons left the yard to start the game at Vanderbilt on March 29, 2019. Spence’s homer was also the first leadoff home run given up by Georgia since May 24, 2018 against Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament.
Grand Slam No. 3: The Vols hit their third grand slam of the year in their six-run fourth inning on Friday night. Jake Rucker went opposite field for his first-career grand slam to give UT a 9-0 lead. All the grand slams this season have been hit by different players.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A dominant effort in the circle from junior Ashley Rogers and timely hitting, propelled the 21st-ranked Tennessee softball team past No. 3 Alabama, 4-3, on Friday night at Rhoads Stadium.
The win was the Lady Vols (21-3, 2-2 SEC) third victory over the Tide (22-2, 3-1 SEC) in Tuscaloosa in its last four tries.
Rogers’ dominant effort was highlighted by a streak of 16 consecutive retired batters spanning the first five and a third innings. The streak began after allowing two runs on a pair of hits to open the evening’s affairs.
At the dish, UT was led by graduate student Cailin Hannon who finished the night 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs that gave the Vols their first lead and some extra insurance that would turn out to be the winning run.
Senior Amanda Ayala was consistent all night, going 3-for-4 at the plate, while batting in a run and scoring the go-ahead run in the fourth inning.
Bama struck first on a throwing error on a steal that plated two runs, giving the Tide an early 2-0 lead before the conclusion of the opening inning.
After two and a half scoreless innings, the Lady Vol bats awakened, plating three runs in the top half of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead heading into the nights’ latter stages.
Shipman opened the scoring as she ripped a double to left center, scoring pinch runner Anna Fox.
Two batters later, Ayala brought home Kaitlin Parsons on an RBI single to left to tie things up at two apiece, before Hannon allowed Ayala to score on a single to center to give UT its first lead of the night.
The Orange & White added an insurance run in the sixth, as Hannon placed a single right back to the pitchers’ circle with the bases loaded to increase the Tennessee lead to 4-2.
Alabama’s Bailey Dowling went yard to lead off the seventh, cutting the Tennessee lead in half, but only before Rogers slammed the door to send Tennessee back to the hotel with a win in the weekend opener.
HITTING IN THE CLUTCH
Friday’s tying run and go-ahead runs in the fourth inning, both came with two outs, capping off a huge three-run inning for the Lady Vols that propelled them to the series opening victory.
ROGERS STELLAR…AGAIN Ashley Rogers threw seven full innings, giving up just one earned run on three hits and three walks, while fanning and sending 16 consecutive batters back to the dugout with nothing to show for their efforts.
UP NEXT
Tennessee returns to action tomorrow afternoon for a 3 p.m. first pitch in game two with Alabama. Saturday’s game can be seen on SEC Network+.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes spoke in the postgame press conference Friday after the Vols lost to Oregon State 70-56 in the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament. Video is approved for use from the NCAA Digital Media Hub.
Vols HC Rick Barnes / Credit: NCAA Digital Media Hub
Tennessee sophomore guard/forward Josiah-Jordan James spoke in the postgame press conference Friday after the Vols lost to Oregon State 70-56 in the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament. Video is approved for use from the NCAA Digital Media Hub.
Vols G/F Josiah-Jordan James / Credit: NCAA Digital Media Hub
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 19: in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I MenÕs Basketball Tournament held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Offensive struggles in the opening half plagued the Tennessee basketball team Friday, as it fell to Oregon State, 70-56, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The loss ended the Volunteers’ season, while Oregon State (18-12) advances to face the winner of Oklahoma State and Liberty in Sunday’s second round.
Tennessee (18-9) was led in scoring by freshman Keon Johnson who totaled 14 points. Johnson also finished the day with six rebounds, three steals and a pair of assists.
Fellow freshman Jaden Springer and sophomore Santiago Vescovi also scored in double figures, adding 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Sophomore guard Josiah-Jordan James, added five points and was a beast on the boards, pulling in 13 rebounds, with four coming on the offensive glass.
His performance tied for the fifth-most rebounds ever by a Vol in the NCAA Tournament, tying Jarnell Stokes, who reeled in 13 in Tennessee’s First Four victory over Iowa on March 19, 2014.
Oregon State dealt the game’s opening strikes with multiple buckets from 3-point range and a stifling defensive effort that gave the Beavers an 18-7 lead with close to 10 minutes to play in the first half.
The Beavers continued to put it on the Vols, extending their lead to as many as 19, but a Bailey 3-pointer and a transition layup from Johnson at the buzzer sent the Vols into the locker room with a bit of momentum, despite trailing 33-19.
Out of the break, Oregon State remained in control, never letting its lead dip below double-digits across the first 10 minutes of the second half.
In the contest’s final stages, the Beavers held off Tennessee’s late flurry to cement the contest’s final score.
Here are some photos taken by the NCAA’s pool photographers from Tennessee’s 70-56 loss to Oregon State in the 1st Round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Tennessee vs. Oregon State
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I MenÕs Basketball Tournament held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I MenÕs Basketball Tournament held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I MenÕs Basketball Tournament held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I MenÕs Basketball Tournament held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I MenÕs Basketball Tournament held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I MenÕs Basketball Tournament held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I MenÕs Basketball Tournament held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I MenÕs Basketball Tournament held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I MenÕs Basketball Tournament held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Lady Vols in NCAA Tournament / Credit: UT Athletics
AUSTIN, Texas — No. 13/15 Tennessee (16-7, 9-4 SEC) remains perfect in NCAA Tournament participation, earning the program’s 39th-straight invitation to the “Big Dance.” UT is the only school to appear in every women’s tourney.
The Lady Vols were selected as a No. 3 seed in the River Walk Region and will meet No. 14 seed Middle Tennessee (17-7) in the NCAA First Round on Sunday. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) at the Frank Erwin Center on the University of Texas campus. The game will be televised by ABC and carried by the Lady Vol Radio Network.
In the other first-round game in the bracket opposite UT and MT, No. 6 seed Michigan (14-5) will meet No. 11 seed Florida Gulf Coast (25-2) at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT) on Sunday at the University of Texas at San Antonio Convocation Center.
The winner of those games will advance to the NCAA Second Round and play on Tuesday. Tip time, TV info. and location are to be determined.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst) and Holly Rowe (reporter) will have the call for ABC.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network radio stations and by audio stream, with Mickey Dearstone behind the microphone. Now calling the action for his 22nd season, Dearstone is joined by studio host Bobby Rader.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on Vol Network Affiliates in the black bar at the top of the page.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
HARPER IN RARE COMPANY
In leading Tennessee to a postseason berth, second-year Lady Vol skipper Kellie Harper became only the second basketball coach to guide four different programs into NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament play.
She is the first to do so at her alma mater.
Harper led Western Carolina (2005, 2009), NC State (2010), Missouri State (2016, 2019) and now her alma mater, Tennessee (2021), to the Big Dance.
She joins Jim Foster, who guided St. Joseph’s, Vanderbilt, Ohio State and Chattanooga to NCAA bids.
Harper also is one of only 11 coaches to take three different schools to the NCAA Tourney.
This marks the 13th postseason appearance of Harper’s head coaching career, including her sixth in the NCAA Tournament.
UT’S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
As mentioned, the Lady Vols are making their 39th appearance in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, and UT is the only program to appear in all 39 tournaments.
Tennessee was an at-large qualifier for the NCAA Tournament field, finishing third in the Southeastern Conference regular season for the second-straight season and bowing out in the semifinal round of the league tourney to No. 2 seed South Carolina, the eventual champion.
UT earned a No. 3 seed for the fifth time and has a 12-3 record in that role.
As a No. 3 seed, the Lady Vols were national runners-up in 1984, lost in the Sweet 16 in 1985, won a national championship in 1997 in Kellie (Jolly) Harper’s sophomore season and fell in the second round in 2018.
No. 3 NCAA women’s seeds have an all-time record of 273-150 (.645), including 115-5 in the First Round.
The Lady Vols are 125-30 in NCAA Tournament play, and they rank first in games played (155) and victories (125) in NCAA tourney history.
Tennessee is second behind UConn in winning percentage at .806 in tourney play.
UT is 0-0 in NCAA play under Kellie Harper, making its first appearance in 2021 with her at the helm after the tourney was canceled a year ago due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) global health pandemic.
UT has advanced to the NCAA regional round on 34 occasions, posting a 28-6 record in the Sweet 16.
The only seasons UT did not make the regional level were in 2009 and from 2017 to 2019. UT lost its opening round contest as a No. 5 seed to No. 12 Ball State in Bowling Green, Ky., in 2009. No. 5 seed UT lost its second-round game at No. 4 seed Louisville in 2017. No. 3 seed UT lost its second-round game to No. 6 seed Oregon State in Knoxville in 2018. No. 11 seed Tennessee fell to No. 6 seed UCLA in the first round at College Park, Md., in 2019.
UT has made the Elite Eight 28 times and in five of the past nine tournaments, posting an 18-10 record in that round.
The Lady Vols have seen their season ended in the regional championship game in five of the past nine years (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016).
UT has advanced to 18 NCAA Final Fours and won eight of them (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008), ranking second to UConn.
Tennessee has finished second in the nation five times and third on five more occasions.
Tennessee’s First/Opening Round opponents through the years have included: Jackson St. (1982), South Carolina St. (1983), Middle Tennessee (1984 & 2021), Virginia (1985), Iowa (1986), Tennessee Tech (1987), North Carolina A&T (1994), Florida A&M (1995), Radford (1996), Grambling (1997), Liberty (1998, 2018), Appalachian St. (1999), Furman (2000), Austin Peay (2001 & 2010), Georgia State (2002), Alabama State (2003), Colgate (2004), Western Carolina (2005), Army (2006), Drake (2007), Oral Roberts (2008 & 2013), Ball State (2009), Stetson (2011), UT Martin (2012), Northwestern State (2014), Boise State (2015), Green Bay (2016), Dayton (2017), UCLA (2019).
All told, UT has played 87 different opponents during all rounds of the NCAA Tournament, including Middle Tennessee.
LADY VOLS IN THE FIRST & SECOND ROUNDS
Tennessee is making its 39th appearance in the NCAA First/Second Rounds, and it owns a 58-4 record during games played in those rounds.
The Lady Vols are 30-2 all-time in the NCAA First Round and 28-2 in the NCAA Second Round.
The only blemishes are a first-round loss to Ball State, 71-55, in Bowling Green, Ky., on March 22, 2009, a second-round setback to Louisville, 75-64, in Louisville, Ky. on March 20, 2017, a second-round loss to Oregon State, 66-59, in Knoxville, on March 18, 2018, and a first-round ouster by UCLA, 89-77, on March 23, 2019, in College Park, Md.
In NCAA First/Second Round play, Tennessee is 45-1 at home, 4-1 away and 9-2 at neutral sites.
The breakdown for that is 23-0 home/0-0 away/7-2 neutral for the first round and 22-1 home/4-1 away/2-0 neutral for the second round.
THE CURRENT TEAM’S NCAA EXPERIENCE
Only three of Tennessee’s active players possess NCAA Tournament experience as the 2021 Big Dance begins.
Rennia Davis has averages of 15.3 ppg. and 10.7 rpg. in three appearances while shooting 54.8 percent.
Davis had a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds in 2019 vs. UCLA in her last NCAA contest.
Kushkituah is averaging 13.0 ppg. and shooting 75 percent in two contests, tossing in 16 points vs. UCLA in 2019 and 10 vs. Liberty in 2018.
In that 2018 contest between UT and Liberty, the Flames’ Keyen Green scored 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting vs. Tennessee. She’s now a Lady Vol (grad. transfer) and is sitting out the season due to injury.
Rae Burrell saw two minutes of duty vs. UCLA two seasons ago but didn’t record any statistics.
HARPER’S NCAA EXPERIENCE
Kellie Harper, who is making her first tourney visit with Tennessee, has made most of her previous trips with mid-majors and/or lower-seeded teams.
She enters the 2021 event with easily her highest-seeded squad.
Kellie Harper is 2-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 0-0 at home, 1-2 away and 1-3 at neutral sites.
She is 1-4 in NCAA First-Round games (0-0 at home/0-2 away/1-2 neutral), 1-0 in NCAA Second-Round games (0-0 at home/1-0 away/0-0 neutral) and 0-1 in the Sweet 16 (0-0 home/0-0 away/0-1 neutral).
During the 2018-19 NCAA Tournament, Harper piloted #11 seed Missouri State to the Sweet 16, beating #6 seed DePaul and #3 seed Iowa State along the way before falling to #2 seed Stanford by nine en route to 2019 Kay Yow National Coach of the Year acclaim.
Harper’s previous entries fell in first-round match-ups: #16 Western Carolina at #1 Tennessee in 2005, #13 Western Carolina vs. #4 Vanderbilt in Albuquerque in 2009, #9 NC State vs. #8 UCLA at Minneapolis in 2010 and #13 Missouri State at #4 Texas A&M in 2016.
NCAA EXPERIENCE FOR STAFF
While this may be Kellie Harper‘s first NCAA Tournament as coach at Tennessee, this isn’t her staff’s first rodeo.
UT assistant coach Jon Harper was on his spouse’s staff in all of those previous NCAA appearances.
Assistant coach Jennifer Sullivan was part of the Missouri State staff during the 2016 NCAA Tourney appearance.
UT director of recruiting operations Jessica Jackson was recruiting director and assistant coach on Harper’s staff at Missouri State during the Bears’ 2019 NCAA Tournament run and played for the Harpers on the 2009 Western Carolina NCAA team.
Tyler Watson, the director of women’s basketball sports performance, also was on Harper’s staff at Missouri State during the 2019 run.
While associate director of sports medicine Casi Dailey wasn’t in Raleigh for NC State’s 2010 NCAA appearance, she did spend eight years on Harper’s staff at NC State from 2012-20.
HARPER NCAA RECORD AS A STUDENT-ATHLETE
Kellie (Jolly) Harper was 21-1 in the NCAA Tournament has a student-athlete at Tennessee.
The 5-foot-10 point guard was part of three national championship teams in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
The 1998 team was undefeated at 39-0.
Harper tallied an NCAA title game-record 11 assists in 1997 as UT defeated Old Dominion.
She scored 20 points in the 1998 title game vs. Louisiana Tech, hitting seven of 10 field goal attempts. Her 4-of-5 effort from beyond the arc is still tied as a championship game record.
Her 1998 effort earned her a spot on the Final Four All-Tournament Team.
LADY VOL NOTES
TERRIFIC TANDEM:Rennia Davis (17.2 ppg.) and Rae Burrell (16.8) are Tennessee’s highest scoring duo since Chamique Holdsclaw (21.3) and Tamika Catchings (16.6) in 1998-99.
POUNDING THE BOARDS: UT, which has won the battle on the boards in every game but two (S. Carolina x 2), ranks fifth in the NCAA in reb. margin (12.5) and sixth in rebs. per game (45.30).
RE’S LAST FOUR:Rennia Davis is averaging 22.8 ppg. and 9.5 rpg. over her last four games, shooting 51.6% on FGs, 38.5 on 3FGs and 88.0 on FTs.
DEPENDABLE RAE: With 18 points vs. Ole Miss in the SEC Tourney, Rae Burrell has 20 games scoring in double figures this season, with 15 of 15+ points.
QUEEN OF BLOCKS: Tamari Key is No. 1 in career block avg. at UT (2.81), has the No. 2 season avg. (2.82, 2020-21) and is sixth in career blocks (151) as a sophomore.
ELITE DISHER:Jordan Horston is No. 6 all-time among UT sophomores (4.2 apg.), two places ahead of her head coach, and the only frosh or sophomore ranked in the SEC’s top 14 this season.
THE ONLY TEAM IN ALL 39: Tennessee is the only women’s basketball program to compete in all 39 NCAA Tournaments.
WINNINGEST PROGRAM: The Lady Vols have the most all-time wins by a women’s basketball program in NCAA Division I history, standing at 1,400-350 through the SEC Tournament.
RECAPPING UT’S LAST GAME
No. #14/16 Tennessee, the No. 3 seed, outscored second-seeded #7/7 South Carolina 13-8 in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t overcome a 29-point first quarter by the No. 2 seed Gamecocks, falling 67-52 in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 6.
Redshirt-junior Jordan Walker and sophomore Jordan Horston were the high scorers for UT (16-7), each finishing with 11 points. Senior Rennia Davis and sophomore Tamari Key were the top rebounders for the Big Orange, grabbing six apiece.
South Carolina (21-4) was paced by Zia Cooke, who had a game-high 17 points and four rebounds. Aliyah Boston was close behind, posting a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Destanni Henderson put up 13 points.
UT had won the first meeting between the teams in 2020-21, 75-67, in Knoxville on Feb. 18.
SERIES NOTES VS. MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Tennessee enters Sunday’s game with a 21-0 series record vs. Middle Tennessee, including 4-0 at neutral sites and 1-0 in the NCAA Tournament.
The programs met on March 17, 1984, in the NCAA Tournament in Knoxville, with the Big Orange taking a 70-52 first-round victory. That’s the only previous NCAA meeting between the women’s programs.
The last regular-season meeting occurred in 2013 in Murfreesboro, with UT coming from behind to win, 67-57.
Kellie Harper is 2-3 all-time vs. Middle Tennessee and Rick Insell in her head coaching career, but this marks the first meeting during her UT tenure.
She was 2-1 vs. MT while at Western Carolina and 0-2 while at Missouri State, falling to the Lady Raiders during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons in away and home games, respectively, in the most recent meetings.
This marks the 14th straight time these teams have met with the Lady Vols ranked in the AP Poll.
The Lady Vols are 101-27 all-time vs. teams from Conference USA.
UT defeated C-USA team Western Kentucky in Knoxville, 87-47, to open the 2020-21 campaign.
Tennessee has a 251-61-1 all-time record vs. schools from the Volunteer State.
The Lady Vols are 2-0 in 2020-21 vs. in-state foes, with wins over ETSU and Lipscomb, with two games on the schedule vs. Vanderbilt (home and away) canceled.
Kellie (Jolly) Harper played for MT coach Rick Insell during her AAU basketball days, and her White County High School team faced the Shelbyville Central H.S. teams he coached.
While at SCHS, Rick Insell had five of his players sign with Pat Summitt at Tennessee, including Abby and Amanda Canon, Alex Fuller, Michelle Johnson and Tiffany Woosley.
Conswella (Sparrow) Johnson, who played for Rick Insell at SCHS, ended up signing with Joe Ciampi at Auburn (1997-2000), but her son Keon Johnson is a freshman on the Tennessee men’s basketball team. He is projected to be taken in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft.
Kellie and Jon Harper were on the women’s hoops staff at Auburn when Sparrow played there.
MT assistant coach Matt Insell and redshirt senior guard Deja Cage have SEC ties. Matt Insell was head coach at Ole Miss from 2013-19, and Cage played for the Rebels in 2019-20. Insell also was a long-time assistant at Kentucky for former Lady Vol graduate assistant Matthew Mitchell.
ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE
The Lady Raiders (17-7) swept the Conference USA regular season East and tournament titles this season. Middle Tennessee is led by C-USA Player of the Year Anastasia Hayes, who averaged 9.3 ppg. at Tennessee in 2017-18 before departing.
This marks the fifth game in 2020-21 that UT has faced a former Lady Vol on an opposing team. UT previously played Kentucky twice (Jazmine Massengill), Texas A&M (Zaay Green) and UConn (Evina Westbrook).
MT is led by four players averaging double figures in scoring, including Hayes at 26.5 ppg., her sister Aislynn Hayes (14.0), former Ole Miss standout Deja Cage (10.8) and Courtney Whitson (10.8).
RECAPPING MIDDLE TENNESSEE’S LAST GAME
Middle Tennessee (17-7) captured the Conference USA Championship with a riveting 68-65 win against defending champion Rice at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on March 13.
It marked the Lady Raiders’ third C-USA championship in four title game appearances and their first since 2016.
Tournament MVP Anastasia Hayes scored 10 of her 17 points in the pivotal fourth quarter to curtail Rice’s comeback attempt. Hayes stuffed the stat sheet, adding seven assists, six rebounds and two steals to her 17-point effort. The C-USA Player of the Year averaged 24.7 points, 6.3 assists and 2.0 steals in the three wins, while also shooting 60 percent (31-of-52).
THE LAST TIME UT & MT MET
Tennessee opened the 2013-14 season at Middle Tennessee the last time these teams met, defeating the Lady Raiders, 67-57, at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro on Nov. 8, 2013.
Isabelle Harrison led four Lady Vols in double figures with 13 points, as UT overcame a 14-point first-quarter deficit and 12-point halftime disadvantage.
Ariel Massengale tossed in 12, followed by Mercedes Russell with 11 and Andraya Carter with 10 to pace Tennessee.
Ebony Rowe led MT and all scorers with 21 points and added 16 rebounds, while Shanice Cason contributed a 10-point, 10-board double-double.
