Lady Vol Hoops Adds Home Games Versus Colorado, UTC

Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper has announced the addition of two more home games for the 2022-23 women's basketball season, securing visits from Colorado and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga during the non-conference portion of the schedule.

The Lady Vols, ranked No. 4 in ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25, are slated to meet the Buffaloes on Friday, Nov. 25, and the Mocs on Tuesday, Dec. 6, respectively. Those extra contests give UT 10 non-conference regular-season home games and 18 countable matchups at Thompson-Boling Arena. That tally matches the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons for most home games in a season without factoring in 2022-23 potential for postseason action on The Summitt. Season tickets are available here.

Colorado returns six of its top scorers from 2021-22, including center Quay Miller (10.6 ppg., 5.1 rpg.) and a trio of starting guards in Jaylyn Sherrod (8.1 ppg., 3.8 apg.), Frida Formann (7.5 ppg.) and Tameiya Sadler (5.0 ppg.). The Buffaloes finished 22-9 overall and 9-7 in the Pac 12 (5th) last season, falling in the 2022 NCAA First Round to Creighton, 84-74, in Iowa City, Iowa.

Tennessee is 3-1 vs. CU all-time, winning the past three meetings. The Buffaloes are making their second visit to Thompson-Boling Arena, with a No. 7/7 Colorado team dropping an 86-82 overtime decision to No. 1/1 UT during the initial trip on Dec. 20, 1993. The teams last met on March 22, 1997, as No. 10/11 Tennessee and point guard Kellie Jolly (nine points, four assists) prevailed over No. 18/21 CU, 75-67, in the Midwest Regional Sweet 16 in Iowa City en route to the 1997 NCAA title.

Chattanooga, meanwhile, returns seven of its top eight scorers, including forward Abbey Cornelius (13.2 ppg., 8.9 rpg.) and guards Brooke Hampel (9.0 ppg.) and Amaria Pugh (8.2 ppg.). The Mocs finished 7-23 overall and 5-9 in the Southern Conference (6th) last season, resulting in former Virginia Tech associate head coach Shawn Poppie being hired to lead the UTC program.

Tennessee is 28-8 all-time vs. UTC, taking the last 13 decisions in Knoxville. The sister schools last met on Dec. 27, 2021, with the Lady Vols racing to a 91-41 victory on Rocky Top. UT's Kellie and Jon Harper were assistants at Chattanooga from 2001-04, serving on Wes Moore's staff and helping the program sculpt a 78-15 record during that time.

The Lady Vols return 10 players, including four starters, from a squad that started 18-1 and finished 25-9 overall and 11-5 in the SEC (3rd) while advancing to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen despite season-ending injuries to three key contributors.

Leading the way for head coach Kellie Harper in year four are All-SEC/All-America Honorable Mention guard Jordan Horston and All-SEC/All-Defensive Team center Tamari Key. Additional regular contributors include returning starters in point guard Jordan Walker and wing Tess Darby, as well as two others with starting experience in 2022 SEC All-Freshman wing Sara Puckett and 2021 SEC All-Freshman forward Marta Suárez.

The Lady Vols also bring aboard four gifted transfers and a five-star freshman, including starters and previous all-league performers in forward Rickea Jackson (Mississippi State), power forward Jasmine Franklin (Missouri State) and point guard Jasmine Powell (Minnesota), as well as a pair of McDonald's All-Americans in sophomore transfer forward Jillian Hollingshead (Georgia) and true freshman wing Justine Pissott.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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