Tag: Lady Vols

Women’s Basketball Profile: Rennia Davis

Women’s Basketball Profile: Rennia Davis

KNOXVILLE — The Lady Vols basketball team has gotten off to a scorching start this season, thanks in large part to the play of Rennia Davis.

Hailing from Jacksonville, Fla., Davis been a leader for this Tennessee squad reminiscent of Rocky Top legend Candace Parker. The 6-foot-2 junior swingwoman has been a tugboat for the team in her two-plus seasons, logging over 30 minutes per game during that stretch, and providing both a scoring punch and a presence on the glass.

Davis played high school ball at Jacksonville’s Ribault High School starting in 2014, where she earned numerous accolades. She was named to the FABC 4A All-State First Team all four years she played, and led her squad to state titles in both her junior and senior seasons; she participated on three total championship teams at Ribault. She averaged 20.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game her junior year, and for her senior season, Davis elevated her scoring game to post 26.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, and was named a McDonald’s All-American and MaxPreps First-Team All-American, among many other distinctions. It should also be noted that she was a superlative student, graduating 14th in her class and earning a dual-enrollment AA degree, while also being named to the National Honor Society.

Before beginning her collegiate career, Davis played in the 2016 USA Women’s U17 World Championship Team Trials with the AAU club Essence. She averaged 12.3 points over seven games, scoring double digits in five of those matches and sporting a high mark of 20 points, while also averaging 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game over the same stretch.

Davis came out of the gates on fire for the Lady Volunteers, averaging 12.0 points and 7.6 rebounds in her debut season, while starting 32 of 33 games on the year. She finished sixth all-time in rebounds per game by a Lady Vol freshman with 7.6, ranking No. 11 in rebounding in the SEC and second among conference freshmen. She shot .483 from the field, .329 on three-pointers — her 25 treys were the fourth-most on the team. She also notched nine double-doubles to tie Tamika Catchings for fifth-most double-doubles ever recorded by a Lady Vol freshman.

Her sophomore year was an impressive step forward that earned her a 2019 All-SEC Second Team selection as well as a WBCA All-America Honorable Mention selection. She led the Lady Vols in scoring (14.9), rebounding (7.7) and free throw percentage (.856) in just her second season in Knoxville. Her free throw mark was an SEC-best, while her rebounding and scoring numbers placed her eighth and twelfth in the conference, respectively. She continued her tear as a double-double machine, matching her freshman season output of nine — the seventh-most double-doubles ever by a UT sophomore and the sixth-most by an active player in the SEC. She also scored in double figures a team-leading 26 times, with 16 games of 15-plus points and six of 20 or more.

Expectations have been high for Davis entering her junior year after being named to numerous watch-lists, including the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30, the Citizen Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List, and the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 30. So far, she has lived up to the hype, recording double-doubles in four of her first six games, and already receiving one SEC Player of the Week award after she exploded for a career-high 33 points against a then No. 16-ranked Notre Dame squad. She’s averaging 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game so far, making 18 of 22 free throws for a healthy 82 percent mark.

The women’s team has gotten off to a tremendous start this season winning their first six games out of the gate, and Rennia Davis is one of the biggest factors in their success. The talent and potential has always been there, and fans are now witnessing one of Tennessee’s best players blossom right before their eyes. With Rennia Davis holding the reins, the possibilities for the Lady Vols are endless.

UT News: November 27, 2019

UT News: November 27, 2019

We have reached the middle of the week — and also the day before Thanksgiving — which means football is in the air, as the Volunteers gear up for their final regular-season game against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Vols have been on a roll in the athletics realm, but they have also excelled in the classroom as well. Speaking of doing well, the Lady Vols basketball team continues to roll along after defeating the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions last night, and their coach had a few things to say about the hot start. The hottest of them all might be quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, but let us discuss the academic accolades first.

Record four Vols make academic all-district team

The Tennessee Volunteers have scored big in the classroom, with four football players earning CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team honors — the most among Power 5 programs.

Redshirt senior offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy, redshirt junior offensive lineman Ryan Johnson, junior defensive lineman Matthew Butler and sophomore punter/kicker Paxton Brooks were selected by CoSIDA in District 3 this month for their combined excellence both in athletics and academics. The four are also eligible for Academic All-American honors as well.

Johnson received his second consecutive selection — only the third Vol ever to earn the feat, with Parker Henry and Peyton Manning being the only other two. Overall, Tennessee now has 32 all-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.

NEXT: Coach Harper breaks the Lady Vols down

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Lady Vols basketball tame Golden Lions

KNOXVILLE – The Tennessee Volunteers women’s basketball team continued their winning ways on Tuesday night, manhandling the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, 92-51. The Lady Vols were led by double-double machine Rennia Davis, who scored 17 points …

KNOXVILLE — The Tennessee Volunteers women’s basketball team continued their winning ways on Tuesday night, manhandling the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, 92-51.

The Lady Vols were led by double-double machine Rennia Davis, who scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, along with four assists. Rae Burrell came off the bench to add 17 points of her own, as well as six rebounds in an outstanding sixth-women effort. Kasiyahna Kushkituah also added 15 points and six rebounds off the pine to round out the Volunteers in double figures.

Tennessee never trailed in the match, taking their first lead two minutes in on a Lou Brown layup. UT’s largest lead of the game as the final margin, which steadily built up over the course of the match, as the Golden Lions never threatened. Remarkably, the Lady Vols nearly shut out their opponent in the second quarter, allowing UAPB’s first score at the one minute mark and only allowing four total points before the halftime buzzer.

Despite the impressive final margin of victory, the Lady Vols committed 19 turnovers along with 19 personal fouls, and they also missed all 10 of their three-point attempts — all numbers that can be improved upon. Otherwise, the girls looked great, shooting 55 percent from the field overall and making two-thirds of their free throws.

The win moves the Lady Vols to 6-0 on the season, taking their first three road games along with the trio of home matches they have played thus far on their six-game homestand. It also elevates the women’s home record at Thompson-Boling Arena to an astounding 456-45 record over the years.

The Lady Vols next take on Air Force at home on Sunday, December 1. Tip-off is schedule for 2 p.m. ET and can be watched on SECN and listened to on affiliated Vols networks.

UT News: November 22, 2019

UT News: November 22, 2019

The weekend is nearly here, but the excitement over Vols athletics have already begun. While the football team is gearing up for its pivotal road match against Missouri, the Tennessee swimming and diving team has started off on a tear, and a couple of golfers have made the top ranks. Additionally, the Lady Vols volleyball team get set to face Alabama tonight.

Day 1 of the Tennessee Invitational

The Vols swimming and diving teams both started out strong on Thursday, setting 48 combined personal bests to open the Tennessee Invitational.

Three Lady Vols swam sub-22 second 50 meter times either in their sprint or as a split in a relay. Bailey Grinter’s 21.95 seconds mark in the 50 meter sprint was her first under 22 seconds and was the fifth best all-time in Tennessee history.

The men’s team had five swimmers place on the top 10 board, led by Matthew Garcia who lowered his career-best in the 200 meter individual medley twice on Thursday; in doing so he set the program’s fourth-fastest 200 meter IM time at 1:44.71.

The meet continues today and tomorrow with preliminary races in the morning and the finals at 5:30 p.m. ET this evening.

NEXT: Golfers ranked in Arnold Palmer Cup rankings

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Lady Vols basketball trounce Stetson

Lady Vols basketball trounce Stetson.

KNOXVILLE — The Tennessee Volunteers women’s basketball team defeated the Stetson Hatters on Tuesday night, 73-46, in their 500th game at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The Lady Vols were led by Rennia Davis, who scored 15 points, along with five rebounds and two assists. Jordan Horston scored 11 points in the first quarter, including three three-pointers, en route to a 14 point performance in support; she also grabbed five boards and dished out seven assists. Three other players — Jazmine Massengill, Kasiyahna Kushkituah and Rae Burrell — also posted double-digit points.

The Volunteers came out of the gates making three buckets from beyond the arc on three straight possessions, missing the fourth consecutive attempt to break the streak. The Lady Vols never trailed and reached their biggest lead of 27 at the 1:52 mark of the fourth quarter, which ultimately was the final margin of victory.

Tennessee shot 43 percent from the field with a 38 percent mark from three-point range after a hot start, and they posted a 65 percent free throw average on 23 attempts — all numbers that indicate another solid performance by the squad. Their 13 turnovers to Stetson’s 11 suggest that the game was well-executed on both sides.

The win improved the program to an incredible 455-45 record at Thompson-Boling Arena in their second game of a six-game homestand. It also marks head coach Kellie Harper’s first 5-0 start of her career.

The Volunteers will next host the Arkansas-Pine Bluffs Golden Lions next Tuesday, November 26, heading into the Thanksgiving break. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

UT News: November 19, 2019

UT News: November 19, 2019

Excitement for the upcoming match between the Tennessee Volunteers and Missouri Tigers football teams is steadily rising, fueled by the Vols’ three-game winning streak and their push for a bowl bid. Speaking of winning streaks, the Lady Vols basketball squad look to extend their season opening surge to five games tonight against the Stetson Hatters. For starters, one particular Vol has been playing his best in recent weeks.

Warrior playing his best football

Senior DB Nigel Warrior has been playing his heart out this season.

His 58 tackles are the second most for the Vols and he is currently in a tie with three other players for most interceptions in the Southeastern Conference, with four; three of those interceptions have come in the last five games. He has also broken up five passes and added a tackle for loss.

Head coach Jeremy Pruitt had the following to say about his star secondary player.

“Nigel has continued to work hard every day at practice. He’s been a really good leader for us. He has improved tremendously from last year to this year and he continues to get better. He’s playing his best football right now.

“He’s kind of turning into a complete player, whether it’s playing the ball, playing man-to-man, or tackling in space, he has improved and continues to improve in all of those areas. Like everybody else, he wants to play his best game this next week. So, he’s going to work hard to do it this week.”

Warrior has been named to the PFF College SEC Team of the Week now twice and on the PFF’s National Team of the Week once.

NEXT: Lady Vols basketball takes on Stetson

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Lady Vols throttle Tennessee State

Lady Vols throttle Tennessee State.

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KNOXVILLE — The Lady Vols basketball team remains perfect on the year after handily defeating the Tennessee State Tigers at home, 73-43.

The Volunteers never trailed in the game — the last time the match was tied came at the 3:36 mark of the first quarter, after which Tennessee steadily pulled away. UT’s largest lead of 32 points came at the 6:09 mark in the fourth quarter, and from there they drifted to a 30-point margin for the final score.

Sophomore swingwoman Rae Burrell led all scorers, notching 14 points off the bench while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out three assists. Junior swingwoman and SEC Player of the Week Rennia Davis added 12 points of her own along with 11 rebounds for her third double-double in four games to open the season. Junior center Kasiyahna Kushkituah was the only other Vol in double digits, scoring 11 points along with seven rebounds coming off the pine.

The Lady Vols shot 42 percent from the field, including a paltry 26 percent from behind the arc. Tennessee’s 19 turnovers were also a bit of a blemish, but they outrebounded State 60-38 — 18 of which were of the offensive variety. UT shot 62 percent from the charity stripe, showing some continued improvement in that department, but still with some room to grow.

The next game is on Tuesday, November 19, against the Stetson Hatters at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

UT News: November 14, 2019

UT News: November 14, 2019

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The start of college basketball’s fall signing period began yesterday with a big splash for both the Tennessee Volunteers’ men’s and women’s team. The men signed an elite trio while the the ladies picked up a dynamic duo. On top of that, the women’s volleyball team rallied to defeat the Razorbacks on the road to keep the winning week for Vols athletics going.

Men’s basketball signs three top recruits

The big news on Wednesday was the signing of National Letters of Intent from a trio of promising prospects.

The ball got rolling when four-star recruit Corey Walker signed his letter, and he was followed up by five-star prospects Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer who also gave their official signatures. Head coach Rick Barnes had this to say about his newest crop of players.

“The combined talent and potential of Keon, Corey and Jaden is really exciting. All three of them fit the culture of this program and come from incredible families who have provided wonderful support and guidance to get them to this point. It’s our responsibility now to help each of them take the next steps in their individual development—not only athletically but also as men.”

The three freshly-anointed Volunteers are expected to enroll at the university in the summer of 2020. Next season promises to be an exciting one on Rocky Top.

NEXT: Lady Vols basketball sign two

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Lady Vols basketball signs two four-star recruits

Lady Vols basketball signs two four-star recruits.

KNOXVILLE — The Lady Vols basketball program got in on the college basketball signing fever on Wednesday, adding two four-star recruits.

Tess Darby, a 6-foot-1 swingwoman from Greenfield High School in Greenfield, Tenn., first verbally committed to UT back on October 18, but the paperwork is now official. The prized perimeter player is rated at four-stars, as well as the No. 33 guard and the No. 144 player overall by ProspectsNation.com; she is given a three-star rating and ranked as the No. 29 guard in the nation by espnW HoopGurlz. She won a state championship in 2018 and was a Class A finalist for Miss Tennessee Basketball that season.

Head coach Kellie Harper had the following to say about her newest Lady Vol.

“Tess is a skilled and competitive wing. She is a terrific shooter and has a high basketball IQ. As a native Tennessean, Tess has a great appreciation of what it means to be part of our university and the Lady Vol(s) program.”

Destiny Salary, a 6-foot guard out of Jonesboro High School in Jonesboro, Ark., is ranked as a four-star guard by both espnW HoopGurlz and ProspectsNation.com. She was a USA Today All-Arkansas Second Team selection in 2019 and earned Class 5A all-state in 2019 and Class 6A all-state in 2017.

Coach Harper also had some encouraging words about the four-star signee.

“Destiny is an athletic and high-energy guard. She is aggressive getting to the basket and defending the ball. Destiny has a magnetic personality that will be great for our team and Tennessee fans.”

 

The two women represent the first high school signees of the Kellie Harper era. She was quoted saying, “both Tess and Destiny are really good people, and we are excited to be adding them to the Lady Vol family.”

 

UT News: November 13, 2019

UT News: November 13, 2019

Welcome to a hump day edition of UT News! The men’s basketball team got a bit of a scare last night, but still managed to emerge victorious against the Murray State Racers. The sports scene around Rocky Top was otherwise quiet, though two major announcements were made for a couple of very deserving members of Vols nation.

Rennia Davis named SEC Player of the Week

Junior wingwoman Rennia Davis was named SEC Player of the Week Tuesday morning, the second time she has earned the honor in her career.

Leading the Lady Vols to a 3-0 start, Davis has averaged 16.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, while shooting 44 percent and 43 percent from the field and behind the arc, respectively. She has managed two double-doubles in three games, bringing her collegiate total to 20 — that ties her for 16th all-time at Tennessee.

Davis exploded against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Monday night, dropping 33 points and grabbing 10 boards in an impressive win for the Vols against a ranked team. That tremendous performance likely clinched the decision to hand her the award.

NEXT: Chris Weinke named to join Florida Sports Hall of Fame

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