University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vols Set for Cardinal Fall Kick-Off
September 05, 2014 | Women's Golf
The University of Tennessee women's golf team is head starting their fall season with a trip to Louisville for the 2014 Cardinal Fall Kick-Off. The single day 36-hole stroke play tournament will be held at the Chariot Run Golf Course (6,260 yards, 72 par) in Laconia, Ind.
The University of Louisville will host Georgia, Morehead State and Cincinnati alongside Tennessee. Georgia and Louisville are playing the tournament as a team while the rest of the field will play individuals. The field of 36 players will include six Lady Vols.
"This weekend will be a great way to get back into competition for everyone and especially for our freshmen to get their first college rounds in," head coach Judi Pavon said. "It will be a little lower pressure for everyone since we are not competing as a team, so they can focus on playing their best golf individually."
With a young team, Pavon and her staff will have much to evaluate and expects nothing but the best effort from each participating player.
"My expectation for the girls competing is that they continue to strike the ball well like they have in practice and that they have high expectations for themselves scoring wise, so they can evaluate where their game is."
Heading the group will be seniors AJ Newell and Mason Chen. AJ Newell returns for her final season after missing most of the spring season with an injury. Chen competed in 10 tournaments for the Vols last season.
Rising star Hannah Pietila will also compete. Pietila competed in every tournament as a freshman and had three top-25 finishes. Fellow sophomore Teleri Hughes will also be in attendance.
Two freshmen will make their Lady Vol debuts. Anna Newell, younger sister of AJ, comes to the program with three wins while on the Florida Junior Tour. Chattanooga, Tenn. Local Blakesly Warren was a standout golfer winning back-to-back state title with Baylor School and is a three-time Tennessee Girl's Junior Amateur champion.
"I'm hoping to get a good look at these six players in competition before we head to our first team event at Charleston," Pavon said. "We will still have a few days to work out any issues that may come up over the weekend. As much as we try to simulate competition at practice, it's hard to get the same pressure, so this is a really great opportunity to see them in the right situation."
