Tag: Lady Vols

Tennessee softball knocks off Lipscomb, 9-1

2020 Tennessee softball.

KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee softball team made quick work of Lipscomb University Wednesday night at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

The Lady Vols scored in bunches en route to a 9-1 victory over the Lady Bisons.

Tennessee (10-7) got off to a fast start, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning of its second home game of the season. UT also scored two more in the second. The Lady Vols would score three more runs in the third to open up a 9-0 lead.

In the opening frame, Ally Shipman had a two-run triple and Kaili Phillips smacked a two-run homer to make it 4-0.

KK McCrary had a two-run double in the second for the Lady Vols, who had seven hits in the contest. She drove in a run in the third when she drew a walk with the bases loaded.

Chelsea Seggern singled in a run in the inning and Shipman also drew a free pass with the bases loaded for Tennessee, which handed Lady Bisons’ ace Megan Gray her first loss of the 2020 season.

Lipscomb (9-9) scored an unearned run in the fifth.

Callie Turner improved to 7-5 as she hurled a complete game. She surrendered three hits and two walks while striking out one.

 

Lady Vols to open SEC Tournament against Missouri

2020 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament.

GREENVILLE — The Lady Vols now know who they will play in their postseason opener on Thursday night.

Tennessee, the Southeastern Conference Tournament’s No. 6 seed, will play No. 11 Missouri at 8 p.m. ET.

The Tigers (9-21) defeated Ole Miss, 64-53, Wednesday in a first-round game.

The 14th-seeded Rebels (7-23) were winless in the SEC this season, but they made things tough for Missouri out of the gate.

The Tigers, who got 16 points from freshman guard Aijha Blackwell, had a 34-24 lead at halftime, but the Rebels outscored Missouri 16-5 over the final 10 minutes of the contest.

Milicia Reid scored 15 points for the Rebels, who played Tennessee in a tight one before falling to the Lady Vols, 77-66, on Senior Night at Thompson-Boling Arena on Feb. 27.

UT beat Ole Miss 84-28 in Oxford on Jan.9.

The Lady Vols beat Missouri 77-66 on Jan. 2 in the only meeting between the two schools in Knoxville.

All-SEC standout Rennia Davis scored 19 points for the Lady Vols, while SEC all-freshman team member Jordan Horston scored 13 points and Tamari Key had 16.

Smith had a game-high 22 points for the Tigers in Big Orange Country.

Rennia Davis, Jordan Horston recognized for postseason honors

2019-20 Lady Vols basketball.

KNOXVILLE — The Southeastern Conference women’s basketball coaches’ awards have been announced.

Rennia Davis and Jordan Horston have been recognized for the 2019-20 season.

Davis is one of eight players chosen to the All-SEC First Team, while Horston is one of eight student-athletes chosen to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

UT press release:

The Southeastern Conference women’s basketball coaches’ awards were announced on Tuesday, and University of Tennessee standouts Rennia Davis and Jordan Horston have been recognized for their performances during the 2019-20 season.

Davis, a 6-foot-2 junior forward from Jacksonville, Fla., was one of eight players chosen to the All-SEC First Team. Horston, a 6-2 freshman guard from Columbus, Ohio, was one of eight first-year performers chosen to SEC All-Freshman Team.

Davis, who began the year as a preseason All-SEC First Team player by the league’s coaches, appears on the postseason All-SEC First Team for the initial time. She was a second-team pick a year ago and made the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2017-18.

Tennessee’s leading scorer and rebounder, Davis is averaging career highs of 18.3 points and 8.3 rebounds this season, which rank third and sixth among conference players. That scoring average is the best by a Lady Vol since Candace Parker averaged 21.3 ppg. in 2007-08.

Davis is shooting 47.8 percent from the field (9th in SEC) and 81.0 percent from the free throw line (3rd in SEC), and she has hit a team-leading 33 three-pointers this season. Additionally, Davis is third on the team in assists (69) and steals (25).

A candidate for a bevy of postseason honors, including All-America accolades, Davis has recorded 11 double-doubles this season and six games of 20 or more points. Her double-double total ties her for seventh all-time among UT juniors, and her career total of 29 ties her for 10th in Lady Vol history. In terms of her games of 20+ points, Davis now has 13 for her career, which ties her for ninth in program history.

In her debut season as a Lady Vol, Horston has started 22 of 29 games for Tennessee, scoring in double figures 14 times and registering five or more assists on 17 occasions. She leads UT in assists (4.8 apg.) and steals (1.2 spg.) and ranks third in scoring (9.8 ppg.), rebounding (5.5 rpg.) and three-pointers made (23).

Horston has recorded the third-most assists ever by a Lady Vol freshman, dishing out 139. Only eight other players in program history have produced a season with that many dimes. Her average of 4.79, meanwhile, ranks second among all-time UT rookies behind only Ariel Massengale’s 4.91 effort in 2011-12. That assist average ranks third among all players in the SEC this season, and Horston is the only league freshman ranked in the top 15 in that statistical category.

Both players have joined their teammates in helping the Lady Vols finish the regular season with a 20-9 overall record and 10-6 mark in the SEC, good for a tie for third place. That placement came despite UT having only one returning starter available this season. The team had been picked to finish sixth by the media and seventh by the coaches.

Former Farragut star Andrea Sarhatt gets big hit against Lady Vols

Andrea Sarhatt gets big hit against Lady Vols.

JOHNSON CITY — A former Knoxville Interscholastic League star helped the East Tennessee State University softball team capture its first victory over the Lady Vols on Sunday in the Buccaneer Classic at Betty Basler Field.

Andrea Sarhatt, a former standout at Farragut High School, doubled and scored for East Tennessee State in the rain-shortened tournament.

Sarhatt entered the weekend as the Bucs’ leading hitter, batting .405 with four doubles, six runs batted in and three stolen bases.

She is not the team’s only former star from the Knoxville area.

Makenna Helton, an outfielder and former all-state standout from Knoxville Halls High School has started 17 games for ETSU (7-10) and was hitting .250 before weekend action.

William Blount product Kasidy Dunn, an infielder, has made eight appearances, including three starts for the Buccaneers.

A former all-state pitcher and Class AAA State Champion from Powell High School, Allison Farr has made four appearances out of the bullpen for ETSU this season and has five strikeouts and a 1-1 record.

Tennessee’s 100-game win streak over in-state opponents ends

2020 Tennessee softball.

JOHNSON CITY — The University of Tennessee softball team saw its roller coaster ride of a season continue on Sunday as it split a pair of games at the Buccaneer Classic.

The Lady Vols opened tournament play with a 4-3 walkoff loss to host East Tennessee State.

Tennessee fell behind 3-0 in the bottom of the first before rallying to tie the contest, 3-3. Ally Shipman hit a two-run homer and KK McCrary also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

The Buccaneers won the game in the bottom of the seventh when Julia Fritz singled to plate Lauren Lee.

The loss ended Tennessee’s 100-game win streak over in-state opponents and is the first program loss to East Tennessee State.

The Lady Vols found their way back into the win column later Sunday when they toppled Bowling Green, 9-3.

Again, Tennessee (9-7) fell behind as the Falcons scored first in the bottom of the opening frame.

But the Lady Vols roared back and scored four runs in the top of the second, an inning highlighted by a two-run single from Madison Webber and an RBI hit from Chelsea Seggern.

Tennessee never surrendered the upper hand as it scored a pair of runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth before closing out the scoring with a run in the top of the seventh.

Webber went 1-for-3 with a stolen base. Seggern was 2-for-3 with a run and stolen base, while driving in two runs.

Kiki Milloy had two hits, two runs and a stolen base while Amanda Ayala went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run.

In the circle, the Lady Vols got a solid effort from Samantha Bender, who tossed a complete game, surrendering three runs (all earned), three hits and a walk. She had three strikeouts in the contest at Betty Basler Field.

Weather was a factor in the tournament as poor field conditions (due to Friday’s snow in the area) canceled Saturday’s games.

The Lady Vols also had Monday’s game against Tennessee Tech suspended due to rain. Tennessee had a 2-0 lead when the game was called in the second inning. The game will be resumed on a date to be determined.

Rennia Davis named SEC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week

Rennia Davis named SEC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee junior Rennia Davis has been named as the Southeastern Conference’s Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.

Davis has now won the award for the third time during the 2019-20 season and the sixth overall time in her Lady Vol career.

UT press release:

University of Tennessee junior forward Rennia Davis has been chosen as the final SEC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week of 2019-20, the league office in Birmingham, Ala., announced on Monday afternoon. It marks the third time this season and the sixth occasion in her career that Davis has been selected for the award.

Additionally, Davis has been announced as the College Sports Madness SEC Player of the Week. It marked her second time this year of being acknowledged by that organization. The first time came on Nov. 18.

The All-SEC and All-America candidate put together back-to-back double-double efforts last week to help the Lady Vols close out the regular season with three consecutive wins and record the program’s 43rd 20-win season in the past 44 years. The 20-9 overall record and 10-6 conference mark significantly improves the Lady Vols’ chances of receiving a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the 39th consecutive time.

The 6-foot-2 standout averaged 20.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in wins over Ole Miss and Auburn that helped UT forge a tie for third in the SEC standings after being picked to finish sixth by the media and seventh by the coaches. Davis shot 48.4 percent from the field (15-31), 33.3 percent from long range (2-6) and 81.8 from the free-throw line (9-11) en route to recording her 10th and 11th double-doubles of the season and her sixth 20+ point effort of the campaign. She now has scored in double figures in 26 straight games and has done so in 40 of her last 41 contests.

Davis was Tennessee’s only player in double figures in the regular season finale at Auburn on Sunday, connecting on nine of 18 shots and three of four attempts at the charity stripe to finish with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three assists. She also was instrumental in a defensive effort that limited Auburn to 55 points just one game after the Tigers had scored 95 on the road at Missouri. She also helped the Lady Vols restrict AU double-double career leader Unique Thompson to six points and five rebounds on the afternoon.

Against Ole Miss last Thursday, Davis was good for 19 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as UT improved to 13-3 at home in 2019-20. The effort was one of 20 this season when the Jacksonville, Fla., native has paced UT in scoring and one of 13 as the team’s leading rebounder.

Davis and her teammates will depart for Greenville, S.C., on Tuesday night and play in the SEC Tournament’s second round on Thursday at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET. UT, which received the No. 6 seed after the third-place tie was broken, will meet the winner of Wednesday’s tilt between No. 11 seed Missouri and No. 14 Ole Miss.

Lady Vols prepare for SEC Tournament play

Lady Vols prepare for SEC Tournament play.

KNOXVILLE — The Lady Vols ended the 2019-20 regular season Sunday with a 56-55 win at Auburn.

Tennessee freshman Jordan Horston hit a shot with 0.6 seconds left on the clock to secure victory for the Lady Vols.

The win placed the Lady Vols with a 20-9 overall record and 10-6 in Southeastern Conference play. Tennessee has now recorded 20-win seasons in 43 of the last 44 years.

Tennessee will now play in the SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C.

SEC Tournament play begins Thursday and the Lady Vols will play the winner of the No. 11 vs. No. 14 match-up at 8:30 p.m. ET. The contest will be televised by the SEC Network.

Lady Vols outlast Ole Miss on Senior Night

Lady Vols outlast Ole Miss on Senior Night.

KNOXVILLE — The Lady Vols closed out the home portion of their basketball schedule with a victory over Ole Miss Thursday night.

Tennessee beat the Rebels by more than 50 points when the two teams met earlier in the season in Oxford and held Ole Miss to 28 points.

But this time the Lady Vols escaped Thompson-Boling Arena with a 77-66 victory and the game was tight as the Rebels trailed just 45-42 with 4 minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter and the Rebels’ box-and-one defense held UT’s Rennia Davis to just three points with just under six minutes remaining in the third stanza.

Davis, a junior and Tennessee’s leading scorer, finished the game with 19 points. She also had 11 points for the Lady Vols (19-9 overall, 9-6 in the Southeastern Conference).

Tamari Key had a career-high 17 points. Rae Burrell finished 14 for Tennessee, which jumped to a 20-9 lead against Ole Miss (7-21, 0-15 SEC) in the first quarter.

But the Rebels never went away thanks to 22 points from Deja Cage and 21 by Milicia Reid.

Chelsea Seggern’s walk-off double snaps losing streak for Lady Vols

2020 Tennessee softball.

KNOXVILLE — It took a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning for the University of Tennessee softball team to snap an early-season four-game losing streak.

The Lady Vols were playing in their 2020 home opener at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium and they needed a win after going 1-5 in Tampa over the weekend. And thanks to senior second baseman Chelsea Seggern, Tennessee nabbed a 3-2 victory over in-state foe UT Martin Tuesday night.

Seggern, one of the Lady Vols’ best hitters came through in the clutch against the Sky Hawks (9-7) with a game-winning double that plated pinch-runner Kiki Milloy with the winning run.

Tennessee’s Jenna Holcomb reached on an error to begin the game-winning rally for Tennessee (8-6), before being lifted for Milloy.

The Lady Vols fell behind 2-0 before storming back to tie the contest thanks to a two-run home run by KK McCrary, her first career round tripper.

Freshman Callie Turner picked up the win for Tennessee to improve to (8-6). She surrendered two runs (one earned) and five hits. She walked two and struck out five.

Lady Vols record 100th win over in-state opponent

2020 Tennessee softball.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee softball (8-6) ended a four-game losing streak Tuesday night.

The Lady Vols defeated UT Martin, 3-2, in its 2020 home opener at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

The win was the program’s 100th victory over an opponent from the state of Tennessee.

Senior Chelsea Seggern secured Tennessee’s victory with a walk-off one-out RBI double to score freshman Kiki Milloy from second base.

The Lady Vols will now play in the ETSU Tournament from Feb. 28-March 1. Tennessee will open tournament play against Bowling Green on Friday at 10 a.m. ET in Johnson City, Tenn.

Tennessee will return home March 4 to take on Lipscomb at 5:30 p.m. ET.