Resiliency Of Lady Vol Seniors Leaves Indelible Mark On Program

By Preston Jones, UTSports.com

Senior Day for student-athletes in collegiate athletics marks the turning of the page to a new life chapter and symbolizes the realization of an approaching college degree and the satisfaction of earning it while competing at the highest level.

The Senior Day Crowd of 11,613 in Thompson-Boling Arena commended Tennessee's trio of honorees prior to tip-off Sunday afternoon with Rae Burrell, Keyen Green and Alexus Dye preparing for their final regular-season contest on The Summitt.

But this one felt different.

Sure, it retained many of those same characteristics of previous Senior Days, but as head coach Kellie Harper embraced each of these three cherished Lady Vols—all of whom surpassed 1,000 points during their careers—it became apparent that this group held a particularly special spot in the heart of the Lady Vol program and its dedicated fans.

Coach Harper addressed the media prior to Sunday's regular season denouement, speaking glowingly about the team's three departing seniors (Jordan Walker will return for the 2022-23 season).

"This is a such a unique senior class, because they all have been here different (amounts of) times. Obviously, Rae has had her entire career here at Tennessee. I coached her for three years. I've coached Keyen for two years, and I've coached Alexus Dye for one year. All a very different look for this senior class, I think. I love all of them, and they bring something special and unique to this team.

"It's been fun to watch the growth that Rae has had both on the court and off the court. She's a special talent and a special young woman. She's going to do great things. I'm just proud of her and who she has become.

"Keyen, you can't really find players that often that have had the impact that she has had on a program without having played an entire season. It's just an unusual situation, but it speaks to the type of person she is. She has really helped to establish what leadership looks like with our team and our program, and that's going to carry on. We have a lot of young players who have learned from her, and I think she's really carved out what it needs to look like here.

"Alexus Dye was the exact person that we needed on this team this year. To see her be able to take this step and finish her career as a Lady Vol....she makes you smile, she's got such a kind heart. I'm really proud of her for what she has done in one year here."

Overcoming adversity has certainly been a central part of these seniors' finale on Rocky Top, with untimely injuries playing a prominent role in Harper's third season at the helm at her alma mater.

"I think we have players that have wanted to step up, and they are really fighting and trying," Harper said last Wednesday. "They've kept a pretty good attitude through some trying times. They come out every day in practice and give us everything they've got. I'm proud of them. I told them that we're going to keep pushing them to be better."

It was announced prior to the start of the season that Lady Vol sophomore Marta Suárez would miss the 2021-22 campaign due to an injury, the start of a considerable amount of adversity Tennessee would go on to face. In UT's season-opener, preseason All-SEC First-Team pick Rae Burrell suffered a knee injury that led to her missing the ensuing 12 games.

Then, the fourth quarter of Tennessee's 63-55 road victory over Georgia on Jan. 23 saw Keyen Green's season come to an end due to injury. A graduate student from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Green's 7.0 ppg., 3.2 rpg and 55.3% clip from the field stood unmeasurable in regard to the impact she made while logging minutes for the Lady Vols. Her improved vocal leadership and the way she uplifted teammates boosted Tennessee's morale.

Tennessee improved to 18-1 (7-0 SEC) after that win over the Bulldogs, but went on to drop three of its next four contests.

Back-to-back home victories for Tennessee were to follow, as the Lady Vols wrapped up the regular season with a 14-2 mark in Knoxville.

The most recent misfortune occurred with 1:45 remaining in UT's contest at Alabama on Feb. 17, when national awards candidate and statistical load-bearer Jordan Horston suffered a fractured dislocation of her left arm while diving for a loose ball.

As the third front-line Tennessee player to suffer a serious injury, Horston would miss an extended period of time, as Tennessee trudged through its SEC schedule with resiliency.

"With Jordan going out, you have to find some rallying, motivation, and inspiration," Horston said. "I think they've found that in each other. They talk about it, and they want to play for each other. When you know the person sitting to your right and to your left is giving everything they've got, it gives you confidence to go out and do the same."

Despite all said adversity, Tennessee obtained five wins over ranked opponents—No. 23 South Florida, No. 12 Texas, No. 25 Texas A&M, No. 19 Kentucky and No. 13 Georgia—in the regular season, after collecting five such victories over the previous two seasons combined.

After transferring from Troy for her final year of eligibility, Alexus Dye stepped in to fill a key role for Tennessee and was one of only three players to start all 29 regular-season contests. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Dye registered 8.9 pp.g and 7.2 rpg., scoring in double figures 13 times and posting three double-doubles. A career milestone came as Dye reached the 1,000-point mark in Tennessee's Feb. 24 home win over Mississippi State.

"I've enjoyed the fans, and I really enjoyed my teammates," Dye said. "I really got to meet a group of special people. They're like my sisters. After I leave here, they'll be my sisters forever. I've enjoyed that… It was an experience of a lifetime. I never thought I would be here at Tennessee calling myself a Lady Vol. Being here this past season, I learned so much and I gained so much. Kellie taught me a lot with the program. She was patient with me, and she just really helped me out. My teammates, I've enjoyed them every bit of the ride."

During Tennessee's media day preceding its season-opener, Coach Harper was in great anticipation for Dye's emergence as a difference-maker this season. Harper eluded to the fact that Dye would immediately be able to fill in for Suárez's absence with her experience and competitive drive.

That certainly came to fruition, as Dye provided much-needed experience in the Lady Vols' starting five.

Burrell, out of Las Vegas, Nevada, puts the regular-season finishing touches on her four-year Lady Vol career, having also reached the 1,000 career-point mark and earning All-SEC Second Team honors in 2020-21 after averaging nearly 17 ppg as a junior. Her senior year saw her log eight starts, as she rebounded from her early-season injury to average 11.0 ppg. and 3.4 rpg. through her 17 regular-season appearances. She scored in doubles figures in each of the past seven games of the regular season, including 11 of the final 13 contests.

Burrell received praise from Harper last Wednesday, who appreciates Burrell's attitude through the course of the season.

"This has been a really difficult time for Rae," Harper said. "You're this talented player and have an idea of how this year is going to go, and with that injury, it just didn't go that way. Unfortunately, that's life. Honestly, it's kind of life lessons she's had to learn and had to endure. I hope when she walks away from this experience that it's made her better—a better basketball player, more equipped to handle adversity. She's one of these players that hasn't been hurt a lot. It's not easy to deal with, especially with a late time in your career. So, I've been proud of her. She's hung in there when it hasn't been easy."

Against Alabama this season, Burrell also surpassed 1,000 points for her career, becoming the 47th UT woman to score 1,000-plus career points during her four years playing for the Lady Vols.

"What will be going through my head is all of the memories that I've made here, and all of the people that I've met," Burrell said. "Overall, just my entire experience here, and how it's crazy how it's basically done. These four years I've been grateful for the experience that I've had here. Tennessee means everything. Now I am a part of something special for the rest of my life. I'm a Lady Vol for life. Many great people have come here. I can walk with that legacy now. It's something that's very special."

A common denominator for the Lady Vols throughout this season has been the close bond seen between each of the squad's members. Case in point: the eagerly anticipated postgame locker room celebrations. Ensuring that no win was taken for granted this season and celebrating each step along the path to the team's end goal has been at the forefront of Tennessee's priorities this year.

For sixth-year player Green, that rings especially true. Her positivity and valiant leadership was vital in pushing the Lady Vols through to a double bye at this week's SEC Tournament in Nashville, after earning the No. 3 seed in the conference.

A 6-1 forward/center, Green saw action in 23 games during her two-year stint on Rocky Top and shot 55% from the field as a Lady Vol. Even prior to tip-off of the 2021-22 season, Green received extensive admiration from her teammates, as Burrell expressed that she believed Green was making an even larger impact than that of the 2020-21 campaign.

"It's been amazing," Green said. "I tell people all the time that I played in four games last season and played in 19 this season, so what is that, 23 over two seasons? And I still have no doubt that I was meant to be here, because it's so much bigger than basketball. You know, I've had amazing opportunities with my education; I've gotten to be around so many different people and network and make connections and relationships that are going to last the rest of my life, and none of that would have been possible without being here at the University of Tennessee, so it's meant the world to me."

Being forever a part of the Lady Vol legacy is something Green does not take lightly. She wholly embodies what it means to be a Tennessee Lady Volunteer, both on and off the court. That sentiment will not be soon lost.

"It is an absolute honor. I am so excited. It's just… because the name carries so much weight. We had some of our Lady Vol alums in practice today, and they were just beaming with pride for us, and I just can't wait to be that person. You know, just always cheering on the girls. I do that now, but being more of an outsider when I'm not in the everyday grind with them, being able to support them any way I can, being able to give them advice from my time here—I can't wait."

Coach Harper more than values the grit shown by this year's group of seniors, recognizing that it was that toughness that empowered Tennessee to fight through a great deal of adversity.

"We talk about toughness a lot," Harper said. "It's definitely a quality that I think when you describe Lady Vols you better say that word. That's going to be a non-negotiable. That's going to be who we are. I think our seniors have shown that. They've had such three unique journeys as their careers come to an end at Tennessee, and they've all been impactful for this program. I'm really proud of who they are."

As Tennessee begins postseason play this week in Nashville at the SEC Tournament, the perseverance demonstrated this year will be something the Lady Vols can fall back on, knowing that all they've got is each other.

And that's all they need.

University of Tennessee Athletics

Resiliency Of Lady Vol Seniors Leaves Indelible Mark On Program

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Rae Burrell

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Jordan Horston

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