Lady Vols Softball find out their next challenge on the road to a championship

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Lady Vols clinched the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and will face Northern Kentucky in the first round of the Knoxville Regional.

The No. 4 seed is also the highest ranking a Tennessee team has earned entering the tournament.

The Lady Vols will make their 20th overall and 19th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend. Tennessee has advanced to the postseason every year since 2004 and has hosted 18 straight regional rounds in Knoxville.

UT is one of just two teams to host regionals every season since the NCAA switched to a regional and super-regional format in 2005.

Coach Karen Weekly’s message to the team following Selection Sunday, ”Just be proud be excited is the best time of the year 64 teams are left playing and you know 236 Give or take are at home so just be very feel very blessed that you’re one of those teams that has an opportunity to continue to play on.”

Senior center fielder Kiki Milloy added how this achievement is on the heels of their hard work this season, “We held the previous trophies up and we knew how much hard work that would take we knew even holding them up. We’re like dang This is heavy but doing that and achieving that is heavy stuff. Not necessarily disbelief, but just like proud of what we have accomplished because we knew that that was one of our goals.”

The Lady Vols enter the tournament after completing the conference title sweep – winning both the regular-season and conference tournament crowns. It is the first time in program history Tennessee has won both titles in the same season.

Graduate pitcher, Ashley Rogers highlighted her excitement to be able to play at home, ”It’s awesome to have the home-field advantage. Like she said, you get to sleep in your own bed, and be around your fans. I just want to relish every last second that I have in this field. And I’m just so glad I get to experience it with this team and this awesome fan base.”

The University of Tennessee will host Louisville and Indiana as well.

UT is set to welcome Indiana, Louisville, and Northern Kentucky to Sherri Parker Lee Stadium for the NCAA Knoxville Regional this weekend from Friday, May 19 to Sunday, May 21. The four-team event will be double-elimination with the winner moving on to the NCAA Super Regional round.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Friday, May 19

Gates open at 2:00 p.m.

3:00 p.m. – Game 1 (Louisville vs. Indiana)

5:30 p.m. – Game 2 (Northern Kentucky vs. Tennessee)

Saturday, May 20

Gates open at 12:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. – Game 3

3:30 p.m. – Game 4

6:00 p.m. – Game 5

Sunday, May 21

Gates open at 1:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. – Game 6

4:30 p.m. – Game 7 (if necessary)

Copyright 2023 WVLT. All rights reserved.