University of Tennessee Athletics
SWIM CENTRAL: North Carolina Meet
October 20, 2016 | Swimming & Diving
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee swimming and diving team is set to start the season against North Carolina with a two-day dual meet Friday and Saturday at Allan Jones Aquatic Center.
Friday’s events start at 4 p.m. and Saturday begins at 10 a.m. Friday’s session is scheduled to last approximately two hours and Saturday is scheduled for three hours. The team scores will be combined from the two days to determine the men’s and women’s dual meet winners.
Admission is free.
The Vols were initially set to start the season earlier this month at UNC Wilmington but the meet was cancelled because of Hurricane Matthew. The team held its annual Orange and White Intrasquad Meet on Sept. 30 with the White team winning 413-366.
LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR: The Tennessee men are coming off their best NCAA performance in 15 years, finishing seventh as a team with Liam Stone winning the NCAA title on the 1-meter platform and Peter John Stevens taking second in the 100-yard breaststroke. Both Vols, now juniors, figure to be among the team’s top returners this season. The Vols were 4-5-1 in dual meet action last season and took sixth at the SEC meet.
On the women’s side, the Vols tied for their best conference finish in program history when they took second at the SEC Championships. Senior Kira Toussaint and sophomore Madeline Banic were on three winning SEC relays, and Toussaint went on to swim in the Olympic Games for the Netherlands. Rachel Rubadue, last year’s SEC Freshman Diver of the Year, is the reigning platform champion. The UT women took 13th at NCAAs and went 5-6 in dual meets.
LAST YEAR VS. UNC: Tennessee lost to North Carolina at a quad meet last season at Indiana. The men fell 166-134 and the women lost 184-126. This weekend marks UNC’s second meet of the season after both teams lost at Georgia.
GOOD TO BE HOME: The Vols host four home dual meets, the Tennessee Diving Invitational and the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships, which will be held Feb. 14-18.
