Kori Penland has left the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team after two seasons to spend more time working with faith-based groups.
“It was hard at first, but I prayed about it for four weeks,” she said. “And then it was just something that I knew the Lord was leading me to do.”
The guard from Chickamauga, a two-time Times Free Press North Georgia player of the year, got limited action during her first two seasons, in part due to injury. Despite her limited roll, Penland said her decision to leave wasn’t made because she was unhappy.
“It had nothing to do with basketball at all,” she said. “It had nothing to do with the coaching staff or playing time or my teammates. I love everything about UTC and basketball, and that’s what made it so hard.”
Penland, who went on mission trips this summer to New Orleans, Haiti and Costa Rica, is the third player to leave coach Wes Moore’s program since last season. Freshmen Erin Helton and Michelle Davis left school because they didn’t want to play anymore.