May 10, 2009

NCAA Bracket

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Tennessee Lady Vol softball team (38-16-1) will host NCAA Regionals for the fifth consecutive campaign according to Sunday's announcement via ESPNU of the annual NCAA Tournament bracket. The Big Orange have been chosen as the No. 13 national seed and will welcome in three squads to Lee Softball Stadium over May 15-17 in the form of Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament champion James Madison (35-14), Nebraska (34-17) of the Big 12 Conference and Ohio Valley Conference regular season champion Jacksonville State (39-13).

Time for each contest are still to be determined, but should be released sometime on Monday morning. Please check into utladyvols.com tomorrow for more information.

"Karen (co-head coach Weekly) and I know all three coaches of James Madison, Nebraska and Jacksonville State well and know all are great coaches who run strong, disciplined programs," Lady Vol co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. "All three teams have been very successful on the field this year, and will present a great challenge for us. We are really proud of our squad for receiving a No. 13 seed in a definite rebuilding season. We are pleased with all of our players, especially with our young players who have gotten better every day and have helped lead us to a sixth straight NCAA Regional. It will be great to be at home to start the NCAA Tournament, and we look forward to an extremely competitive weekend."

If the Orange & White advance through to the NCAA Super Regionals for the fourth time in program history, they would face-off against a familiar foe on the road at Southeastern Conference rival Alabama. The fourth-seeded Crimson Tide (47-9) will face Mississippi Valley State (37-14) in its opening round contest while Chattanooga (30-22) faces Texas (38-18) in the other half of their bracket.

This visit to the "Big Dance" marks the seventh overall NCAA Regional trip (30-14 overall NCAA record) for the Lady Vols. It is also UT's sixth consecutive selection (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) to the field of 64 under the guidance of co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly. Tennessee has been to three Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla., where the Lady Vols finished third nationally in both 2005 & 2006 and second overall in 2007.