(photo: UT Sports)
The Tennessee women’s basketball team will begin the season ranked in the top 12 of both major preseason polls that were released Tuesday, coming in at No. 11 in the Associated Press Top 25 and at No. 12 in the USA TODAY Sports/WBCA Top 25 Coaches Poll.
It marks the third consecutive year the UT women have appeared in the preseason edition of both polls under head coach Kellie Harper. It’s also the 45th time out of 48 that Tennessee has begun the year slotted by at least one of those ranking services and the 20th time in 22 years that the Big Orange appeared in both.
Harper led her program to back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16s the past two seasons and is one of only seven coaches in women’s basketball to achieve that since 2021-22. The Lady Vols, 25-12 overall and 13-3 in SEC play (third) a year ago, finished the 2022-23 campaign at No. 24 in the AP Poll and No. 20 in the USA TODAY/WBCA Coaches Poll after facing the nation’s most difficult schedule, per the final NCAA Toughest Schedule Report.
Tennessee opens the 2023-24 campaign with exhibition games on Oct. 30 and Nov. 5, playing host to Carson-Newman and the USA Women’s National Team at 6:30 and 6 p.m. ET, respectively. The Lady Vols welcome Florida A&M for the regular season opener at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 7.
For ticket information regarding Lady Vol games, fans can go to AllVols.com.
(UT Sports)
