Tennessee_Volunteers_softball

Tennessee Lady Volunteers softball

Tennessee Lady Volunteers softball

Women's university softball team from Knoxville, Tennessee

The Tennessee Lady Volunteers softball team represents the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA Division I women's softball competition. Coached by Karen Weekly, the team has become a consistently top tier team in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), appearing in every NCAA tournament since 2004, and qualifying for 8 Women's College World Series.

Quick Facts Founded, University ...

Along with all other UT women's sports teams, it used the nickname "Lady Volunteers" (or the short form "Lady Vols") until the 2015–16 school year, when the school dropped the "Lady" prefix from the nicknames of all women's teams except in basketball.[2] In September 2017, the “Lady Volunteers” name was reinstated for all women’s athletics teams.[3]

Overview

Volunteers softball legend Monica Abbott

The Lady Vols first fielded a softball team in 1996 with Jim Beitia as head coach.[4][5] In 2002, Tennessee hired the husband and wife team and former Chattanooga coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly as co-head coaches. Since 2004, the team has reached the NCAA Tournament every year and the Women's College World Series eight times.[6] Under the Weekly's, Tennessee has been one of only two programs (the other is Alabama) to be a NCAA Top-16 seed every year since the current format was adopted in 2005. One particularly notable season came in 2007 when the Lady Vols managed to make history, finishing 63–8 for the program's best winning percentage of .887.[7] The 2007 season culminated in a third-straight trip to the WCWS where Tennessee became the first SEC program to reach the best-of-three NCAA Championship Series, before falling to champion Arizona.[8] That year, the team managed two wins over No. 4 Arizona, in addition to other triumphs against No. 6 Northwestern and No. 7 Texas A&M. These results propelled the Lady Vols to a record 11 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll,[9] becoming the first SEC school to reach the top ranking in the league's softball history.[6] Tennessee would again reach the national championship series in 2013 as the No. 7 seed, where they ultimately fell to No. 1 Oklahoma.[10]

Sherri Parker Lee Stadium

Main article: Sherri Parker Lee Stadium

The Sherri Parker Lee Stadium is the home venue for the Lady Vols, replacing Tyson Park. Opened in 2008, the stadium can seat 1,614 spectators as well as three press boxes, four VIP suites and an observation deck for television crews.[11] In addition to Tennessee home games, Lee Stadium has hosted the SEC softball tournament (in 2009 and 2017) and exhibition games involving the US national team (2008) and the Dutch national team (2011, 2012).

Sherri Parker Lee Stadium

Situated next to the stadium, the Volunteers clubhouse is approximately 7,000 square feet (650 m2) and features a team room, whirlpools, training area and conference room. Its other amenities include a kitchen, 30-seat theater, trophy room and a recreation room with a big-screen television, pool table, video games and comfortable furniture for the student-athletes. The locker room is also equipped with full laundry facilities, a mud room, 24 large lockers, shower and bathroom facilities. Also next to the clubhouse is one of the largest batting cage facilities in the nation. It contains four 16-by-60-foot (18 m) cages which are designed to provide plenty of room to walk or film between each. All four cages are covered from the weather and possess high-quality Astroturf. [11]

In 2011 the field was recognized as the NFCA/Stabilizer Solutions Field of the Year.[12]

In 2017 general admission outfield bleachers were added to the stadium.

Head Coach

Main articles: Karen Weekly and Ralph Weekly

Karen Weekly took over as sole head coach in 2021, having previously served as co-head coach alongside her husband Ralph Weekly since 2002.[13][14]

Since Ralph and Karen Weekly took over the Lady Vols they have guided the program from a team struggling to make a name for themselves in the SEC[by whom? – Discuss] to a team that has garnered world recognition for their success.[by whom? – Discuss] The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has chosen to honor Ralph for his efforts throughout a distinguished, three-decade career, that has spanned from his time in the U.S. Air Force through stops at Pacific Lutheran, Chattanooga and now Tennessee, with a 2011 induction into the NFCA Hall of Fame.

Voted in by his coaching peers and with the organization consisting of just 49 previous inclusions, Ralph Weekly will join Ithaca head coach Deb Pallozzi in ceremonies to be held at the annual NFCA Convention.[when?][citation needed] Ralph and Karen have taken the Vols to their first Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament championships as well as the team's first Women's College World Series appearance.[when?][citation needed]

Their overall record at Tennessee is 465–150–2[when?] and, in 2005, they recorded the programs most wins in a season with 67, an NCAA record at the time..[citation needed] Ralph and Karen have also authored a book, High-Scoring Softball.[15] [6]

Year-by-year results

Sources[16][17][18]

More information Season, Record ...

NCAA Tournament seeding history

National seeding began in 2005. The Tennessee Volunteers are one of only two teams to have a national seed every year, along with Alabama.

More information Years →, '05 ...

Awards and honors

All-Americans

Four time All- American Monica Abbott

The Tennessee Volunteers softball program has garnered 36 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American honors.

  • Monica Abbott – 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 NFCA All-American[19]
  • Tonya Callahan – 2006, 2007, and 2008 NFCA All-American[19]
  • Raven Chavanne – 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 NFCA All-American[19][20]
  • India Chiles – 2007 NFCA All-American[19]
  • Kat Dotson – 2010 NFCA All-American[19]
  • Kristi Durant – 2005 and 2006 NFCA All-American[19]
  • Sarah Fekete – 2005 and 2006 NFCA All-American[19]
  • Rainey Gaffin – 2015, 2016 NFCA All-American
  • Lauren Gibson – 2011, 2012 and 2013 NFCA All-American[20]
  • Meghan Gregg – 2017 and 2018 NFCA All-American[21]
  • Tiffany Huff – 2009 NFCA All-American[19]
  • Aubrey Leach – 2018 NFCA All-American[22]
  • Ellen Renfroe – 2011 and 2012 NFCA All-American[20]
  • Lindsay Schutzler – 2005, 2006, and 2007 NFCA All-American[19]
  • Madison Shipman – 2012, 2013, and 2014 NFCA All-American[23]

National awards

USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
  • Monica Abbott – 2007[21]
NFCA National Pitcher of the Year
  • Ashley Rogers – 2023[24]
NFCA National Freshman of the Year
  • Annie Aldrete – 2014
NFCA Golden Shoe Award
  • Raven Chavanne – 2013[25]
Honda Sports Award
  • Monica Abbott – 2007[21]
  • Madison Shipman – 2014
Senior CLASS Award
  • Madison Shipman – 2014[26]

Conference awards

SEC Player of the Year
  • India Chiles – 2007
  • Tonya Callahan – 2008
  • Lauren Gibson – 2013
  • Madison Shipman – 2014[27]
  • Meghan Gregg – 2017
SEC Pitcher of the Year
  • Monica Abbott – 2004, 2005, 2007
SEC Freshman of the Year
  • Monica Abbott – 2004[21]
  • Kat Dotson – 2010
  • Ellen Renfroe – 2011
  • Caylan Arnold – 2017
  • Karlyn Pickens – 2023
SEC Coach of the Year

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "General Information". UTSports.com. June 14, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  2. [2]
    Megargee, Steve (June 26, 2015). "Tennessee set to make move to a lone 'Lady Vols' team". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  3. [3]
    "University of Tennessee announces return of Lady Vols logo for all sports".
  4. [4]
    "Jim Beitia - Softball Coach". USF Athletics. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  5. [5]
    "2023 Tennessee Softball Media Guide (PDF)" (PDF). University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  6. [6]
    "Ralph Weekly Bio – University of Tennessee Official Athletic Site". Utladyvols.com. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  7. [7]
    "Softball History". University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  8. [8]
    "2007 University of Tennessee Softball". static.utsports.com. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  9. [9]
    "Tennessee (W) Softball Archive 2007". University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  10. [10]
    "2013 Tennessee Lady Vol Softball". static.utsports.com. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  11. [11]
    "Sherri Parker Lee Stadium". Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  12. [12]
    "2011 NFCA / Stabilizer Solutions Field of the Year Award Winners | Stabilizer Solutions". Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  13. [13]
    "Karen Weekly - Softball Coach - University of Tennessee Athletics". UTSports.com. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  14. [14]
    Potkey, Rhiannon. "UT SPORTS Tennessee Lady Vols softball co-head coach Ralph Weekly retires". KnoxNews.com. Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  15. [15]
    Weekly, Ralph (2012). High-Scoring Softball. Human Kinetics. p. 192. ISBN 9781450401395.
  16. [16]
    "SEC Softball Media Guide" (PDF).
  17. [17]
    "Tennessee Softball Year-by-Year".
  18. [18]
    "University of Tennessee Official Athletic Site – Softball". Utsports.com. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  19. [19]
    "Tennessee Softball Media Guide". www.utladyvols.com. 2011. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011. Retrieved April 24, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  20. [20]
    "Knoxville News Sentinel". GoVolsXtra. July 21, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  21. [21]
    "2018 Softball MG History" (PDF).
  22. [22]
    "Leach, Gregg Earn All-America Honors".
  23. [23]
    "Four Lady Vols Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Americans – University of Tennessee Official Athletic Site". Utladyvols.com. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  24. [24]
    "Florida's Wallace, Tennessee's Rogers capture major DI end-of-year awards". nfca.org. June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  25. [25]
    "News | National Fastpitch Coaches Association". Nfca.org. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  26. [26]
    "Tennessee's Madison Shipman wins the 2014 Senior CLASS Award® in softball". Senior CLASS Award. May 30, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  27. [27]
    "2014 SEC Softball Awards Announced". Secsports.com. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
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