The Tennessee Lady Volunteers find themselves in a very familiar situation.
For a fifth consecutive season, Tennessee has reached the championship round of the NCAA softball tournament’s Knoxville Regional at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The latest accomplishment took place Saturday afternoon, when the regional’s top-seeded Lady Vols scored five runs in the first inning before holding on for a 7-5 topping of second-seeded Virginia.
Tennessee, the seventh overall seed in the NCAA tournament’s 64-team field, improved to 44-10 but would not know its title opponent until late Saturday night.
“It was just a really great game and the kind of game you expect here in the regionals,” Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said in a press conference. “We talked this week about how nothing is going to be easy and that everybody is here because they’re good and because they don’t quit no matter what. I’m proud of our team for their fight and for answering back every time Virginia did something.
“Whoever comes out of this later today is going to be a formidable opponent tomorrow.”