University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vols Release 1999-2000 Hoops Schedule
August 06, 1999 | Women's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee Lady Volunteer basketball schedule has been finalized for the 1999-2000 season and features over a dozen opponents expected to be ranked among the nation's top 25 teams.
In addition to the perennial Southeastern Conference powerhouses, the Lady Vols will also tangle with NCAA Champion Purdue and top rivals Stanford, UCLA, Wisconsin, Texas, and Old Dominion. A new twist this season will be a home-and-home affair with the UConn Huskies - both drawing national television attention. Tennessee will host the State Farm Women's Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 14 meeting Louisiana Tech, while Rutgers faces a team to be named later. The Lady Vols will also venture to Cleveland, Ohio, and have a neutral site meeting with N.C. State planned at Gund Arena.
"We are excited to have put together such a high-caliber schedule for the coming season," said Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt. "We welcome N.C. State and Wisconsin back on our schedule and we look forward to taking on the USA National Team in Knoxville."
Tennessee's home opener starts with long-standing rival Louisiana Tech, who was a 1999 Final Four participant. Other non-conference guests to the Thompson-Boling Arena will include UT-Martin, Purdue, Texas, Old Dominion and Connecticut. UT's home SEC schedule features Arkansas, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana State and Auburn.
"With the make-up of the teams on our schedule year-in and year-out, every other year our home schedule is very appealing to our fans. This year is no exception," said Summitt. "We start off with an exhibition game against the U.S. National Team - this will be the nucleus of our 2000 Olympic Team to Australia. A week later we open our collegiate season against Louisiana Tech at home in the Hall of Fame game, and a few weeks after that we will welcome Purdue - the 1999 NCAA Champs -- to our arena. It doesn't get any easier after that, either," she said.
Tennessee's away schedule before the millennium will quickly break-in the four Lady Vol rookies by facing Stanford and UCLA on a Thanksgiving road swing, and single games at Wisconsin, Memphis, DePaul, and St. Joseph's. "Our four freshmen are going to receive a baptism under fire the USA Team, La Tech and back-to-back road games on the West Coast. It will be a great way to introduce them to the strongest competitive environment of women's college basketball," said Summitt.
In January, the Lady Vols will make five road trips visiting LSU, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, and N.C. State in Cleveland, Ohio. UT rounds out the traveling portion of the regular season schedule in February with games at Connecticut, Mississippi, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt.
"Each year we try to play in the different hometowns of our players. I'm excited that we'll be going to Kristen "Ace" Clement's stomping grounds in Philadelphia to play St. Joe's in December. I hope that trip whets our appetites to return to Philadelphia for the Final Four in March. We are also traveling to Cleveland, Ohio home of Semeka Randall, to play N.C. State. Along with Semeka, the Wolfpack's Summer Erb and Kaayla Chones will also be returning home to play. This will be a great opportunity for these young ladies to play in Gund Arena," said Summitt.
