Ticket Punched: Lady Vols Earn Fifth Consecutive NCAA Tournament Berth

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the 20th time in program history, Tennessee Volleyball has been selected to the NCAA Tournament. Tennessee will open the tournament on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m. ET, as it takes on Utah State in Tempe, Arizona., as revealed on the NCAA selection show on Sunday evening.

This marks the fifth consecutive and sixth time Tennessee had been selected for the NCAA Tournament under head coach Eve Rackham Watt.

The Lady Vols earned the No.7 seed in their region of the bracket. Arizona State earned the No. 2 seed in the region, and will host the first two rounds of the tournament. The Sun Devils will take on Coppin State in the other matchup in the first round. The winner of those matches will meet on Friday, Dec. 5 for a chance to advance to the Round of 16.

Tennessee has a record of 17-19 in its 19 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Under Rackham Watt, the Lady Vols have advanced past the first round three times. Tennessee holds a 13-7 record all-time in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Tennessee advanced to the Round of 16 in 2023 under Rackham Watt, the furthest the program had advanced in the tournament since 2005 when it reached the Final Four. This will be the first ever meeting between Tennessee and Utah State. 

The Big Orange head into the Big Dance with a 20-7 record, while also finishing conference play with a 10-5 record. The Lady Vols earned the four seed in the SEC Tournament, and advanced to the semifinals. This is the fourth time the team has earned 20 wins in a season under head coach Rackham Watt. The Lady Vols had a 12-3 record at home this season, the fifth-straight season they had double-digit wins at home.

Utah State enters the tournament after winning the Mountain West Tournament championship and earning an automatic berth. The Aggies also won the regular season championship in the Mountain West and come into the NCAA Tournament with a 23-7 record.