The Lady Vols will return to action Dec. 1 against East Tennessee State at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Following Tennessee’s season opening win, second-year UT head coach Kellie Harper met with media. Below is a transcript provided by the University of Tennessee.
PHOTOS: Lady Vols defeat Western Kentucky
Opening Statement:
“It feels so good to get to play today. I’m really proud of our team. I think they have held it together really well this preseason, with the uncertainties that we have this year. I was really happy for them to get to come out and compete at home in front of our fans. I thought we played hard. It took us a little while to settle in offensively. I still think we missed some shots we can make. We can clean up some execution offensively, hopefully before our next game. Defensively, we had some kids that just made plays. Overall, our 1-on-1 defense can be better. We’ll work on that. You don’t come out in game one and play perfectly. I’m proud of our team. I’m proud of our effort. I thought we had some really bright spots and a lot of encouraging moments out there that are really going to help us.”
On the differences she saw during the game as a result of COVID-19 protocol:
“The layout, obviously, is different. I’ll be honest, not having a pep band there was different. Not having our cheer team or media on the court was different. There’s so much that makes it look different. It definitely feels different being on the opposite side of the scorer’s table. There are times that I forget and say, ‘They’re going to throw the ball in over here, because we’re opposite of the scorer’s table.’ There are a few things that will still take some adjusting. One of the things we know we have to be – as well as everybody else in the country in any job – is flexible. You’ve got to be flexible. You’ve got to be adaptable and you’ve got to be ready for change. The thing that did not change, though, is that we got to play. The rules didn’t change, so we were on the court playing, and that was fun.”