University of Tennessee Athletics
2025-26 Tennessee Athletics Year in Review
July 23, 2026 | General
Seven University of Tennessee athletic teams finished in the top 10, of the national polls and/or NCAA Championship, during the 2025-26 academic year.
Men’s basketball, men’s golf, rowing, softball, men’s swimming and diving, women’s swimming and diving, and men’s outdoor track and field all made the top-10 cut. Five of those programs earned a top-five finish, with three concluding the season third in the country in the polls or NCAA Championship.
Tennessee won a pair of SEC titles in 2025-26, as women’s golf and rowing both claimed conference crowns. It was the first SEC trophy for both sports. UT now has 14 SEC championships since 2021, after logging three in the prior six years.
For the fifth year in a row, Tennessee finished in the top 15 of the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup. That marks the longest such streak in school history.
The rowing team finished third in the nation, tying its best placement ever, for the second time in three years. The softball team, meanwhile, advanced to the national semifinals for the third time in the last four seasons. Additionally, the men’s outdoor track and field team finished on the podium at the NCAA Championship, taking third place.
The swimming and diving programs on both the men’s and women’s side garnered top-five placements at the NCAA Championship for the second year in a row. Tennessee is one of just two schools in the nation to achieve that feat.
The Volunteers reached the Elite Eight in men’s basketball for the third straight season, joining Duke as the only teams in Division I to do so. Tennessee is the only school in the country to play in the Sweet 16 in each of the last four years and in the Elite Eight in each of the past three years.
Tennessee was one of just three schools in Division I to reach the postseason in baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, football, softball and volleyball during the 2025-26 academic year. UT has reached the postseason in each of those sports five consecutive years, the longest active streak in America.
Tennessee student-athletes recorded the best semester in school history in the fall of 2025 with a 3.49 GPA. They followed that with the best spring semester ever at Tennessee, amassing a 3.47 GPA to begin 2026.
The Volunteers and Lady Volunteers have now combined to post a GPA of 3.0 or better in 27 consecutive semesters. In each of the past seven, every sport on campus had a mark of at least 3.0.
Additionally, 281 Tennessee student-athletes made the Dean’s List in the spring of 2026. That set a school record for any spring semester.
For the third straight year, Tennessee led all schools in combined attendance across football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. UT ranked first in both overall and average attendance, as it did in both 2024-25 and 2023-24.
Tennessee had 1,181,715 fans come through its gates across 37 home events in those three sports, over 138,000 greater than second-place Texas A&M (1,043,172). Only five schools eclipsed one million fans. UT's total of 1,234,843 in 41 regular season home games led the nation in 2024-25 and its 1,161,218 figure over 38 contests in 2023-24 also paced the country.
Furthermore, Tennessee again ranked first in Division I in average attendance, with its 31,938 mark nearly 6,000 above second-place Texas A&M (26,079), with no one else above even 25,000. The Volunteers and Lady Volunteers had a 30,118 regular season average in 2024-25 and a 30,558 overall average in 2023-24, both of which led the country.
The only institution to rank even top-15 nationally in cumulative attendance and/or average attendance in all three sports in 2025-26, Tennessee placed top-nine in every cumulative category and top-six in every average category.
WOMEN'S GOLF
The first SEC Championship in program history capped a historic year for Tennessee women’s golf in 2025-26. The Lady Vols earned dramatic match play victories over Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Auburn to claim the conference crown at Pelican Golf Club. A heroic playoff hole win over the Aggies by Sofie Engesæth secured Tennessee a spot in the final, in which Kyra Van Kan proceeded to sink the title-clinching putt against Auburn.
Beyond a landmark conference title, fifth-year head coach Diana Cantú guided the Lady Vols to a second consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships and a program record four tournament victories. Tennessee's national ranking and record have improved year-after-year under Cantú, as the Lady Vols closed the 2025-26 season with a 138-52-3 record and a No. 21 national position.
The Lady Vols earned regular season victories at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, the FAU Paradise Invitational and the Chris Banister Golf Classic, before opening postseason play with their triumphant effort at the SEC Championship.
Tennessee was selected as the No. 5 seed in the Waco NCAA Regional, at which it mounted an improbable third-round comeback to punch a ticket to the NCAA Championships.
While the Lady Vols fell just short of making the 54-hole cut at the national championship, Van Kan posted an impressive individual finish. The sophomore matched Tennessee’s second-best all-time individual NCAA Championship performance, tying for fifth place at 7-under-par.
Tennessee had three different individual medalists in 2025-26, as Sophie Christopher, Madison Messimer and Van Kan each secured the first individual victories of their collegiate careers last spring.
Van Kan was named a Third Team All-American by Golfweek, while Messimer received Honorable Mention honors. The pair became the 14th and 15th All-Americans in program history, marking just the third time Tennessee has had multiple All-Americans in the same season.
The duo also received significant praise from the SEC. Messimer became Tennessee’s first SEC Freshman of the Year since 2003 and the program’s first All-SEC First Team selection since 2016. Van Kan earned a place on the All-SEC Second Team, marking the first time the Lady Vols had multiple All-SEC honorees since 2015.
SOFTBALL
Tennessee made its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance in 2026, hosting its 21st consecutive NCAA Regional. The Lady Vols advanced to the Super Regionals for the fourth straight season and the 15th time in program history before returning to the Women's College World Series for the 10th time overall and the third time in the past four years.
The Lady Vols opened the season with a historic 26-0 start, setting program best marks for best open to a season and longest overall win streak. Tennessee was ranked No. 1 in the nation for five consecutive weeks and never dropped out of the top 10.
In head coach Karen Weekly's 25th season, Tennessee finished 49-12 overall and 16-8 in SEC play, earning the No. 7 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Vols swept through the Knoxville Regional with a 3-0 record before defeating No. 10 Georgia in consecutive games during the Super Regionals to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City.
At the Women's College World Series, Tennessee earned victories over Texas and Texas Tech before its season came to an end with a semifinal loss to Texas.
Individually, Alannah Leach, Sage Mardjetko, and Karlyn Pickens earned First Team All-SEC honors. Pickens was also named to the SEC All-Defensive Team and was recognized as a 2026 College Sports Communicators Academic All-American. Mardjetko earned SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors and was also named a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American. Both Pickens and Mardjetko were consensus All-Americans, earning first team honors from the NFCA and D1Softball and second team recognition from Softball America.
The Big Orange pitching staff once again proved formidable, finishing the season with the nation’s best ERA at 1.47, marking the second year in a row UT finished with the top ERA in the country.
Tennessee's coaching staff was selected as the ATEC/NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year, while Pickens received a Golden Ticket, officially inviting her to begin her professional softball career in the AUSL. The Weaverville, N.C., native was selected No. 1 overall by the Carolina Blaze.
SWIMMING & DIVING
Both the men’s and women’s teams finished in the top five for the second straight season, one of only two programs in Division I to do so over the last two years. The women recorded their eighth consecutive top-10 finish, while the men had their fourth.
Camille Spink, the SEC Female Swimmer of the Year, swept the 50 Free, 100 Free and 200 Free at the SEC Championships for the second consecutive season, the second female swimmer to do so and the first since 2006-07. Spink’s wins in both the 50 Free and 100 Free were her third in a row, making her the first swimmer to accomplish the feat since LVFL Erika Brown from 2018-20. Spink captured bronze in the 50 Free at NCAAs, while finishing fifth in the 100 Free and sixth in the 200 Free.
McKenzie Siroky closed her season with a silver medal in the 100 Breast at the NCAA Championships, while Desharne Bent-Ashmeil collected a silver medal in the 3-meter at NCAAs, thanks to a program-record score of 382.25. The 400 Medley Relay team of Jillian Crooks, Siroky, Mizuki Hirai, and Spink also secured a silver medal for UT while also setting the school record in the event of 3:23.79.
The Lady Vols earned 16 podium finishes and 17 top-16 placements. They finished with 301.5 points, the second-highest point total in program history behind the 325.5 points from a 2013 third-place finish.
At the SEC Championships, the Lady Vols won 18 medals, en route to second place. Jillian Crooks took the crown in the 100 Back and Ella Jansen captured the conference title in the 400 IM. All five relay teams earned podium finishes at the conference championship, with the Lady Vols winning gold in both the 200 Free Relay and 200 Medley Relay.
The men’s team collected their second-straight top-five NCAA finish thanks to a team point total of 272, its most since 2001. It marked the first time in program history the program finished top-five in consecutive years since a three-year stretch from 1996-98.
Gui Caribe placed top-three in both the 50 Free (second) and 100 Free (third), giving him back-to-back top-three finishes in each. The Brazilian also brought home silver medals in the 50 Free, 100 Free and 100 Fly at the SEC Championships.
Bennett Greene was the only diver in Division I to advance to the finals of all three NCAA finals. Greene led all divers with 38 points, highlighted by a bronze medal performance in the 1-meter. He also had a strong performance at SECs, winning gold in the 1-meter, the first such achievement by Tennessee diver since 2017.
Koby Bujak-Upton finished as the national runner-up in the 200 Free, the Vols’ second-best finish ever in the event. Bujak-Upton swam a personal best at NCAAs with a time of 1:29.79, the only Division I swimmer to break 1:30 during the 2025-26 season in the 200 Free.
At the SEC Championships, the Vols finished in third place for the second year in a row. The team finished with a total of 1,061.5 points, with 14 medals won across the week. Martin Espernberger was named the male recipient of the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He became the first Tennessee male swimmer, third swim & dive athlete and eighth UT student-athlete to win the award.
ROWING
Tennessee had one of its most successful campaigns in 2026, with the program capturing its first conference title in any league since 2012.
The Lady Vols won four gold medals at the SEC Championships, with their victory in the first varsity eight securing the program's first SEC title. Following the historic win, Tennessee earned the No. 1 overall ranking in the CRCA Coaches Poll. This marked the first time in program history the Lady Vols claimed the top spot in the national poll.
All three championship boats earned berths to the NCAA Championships. The team achieved this feat for the third consecutive year under head coach Kim Cupini, marking the program's eighth full-team appearance in NCAA Championship history. At the NCAA Championships, the Lady Vols finished third overall in the team standings, tying their best-ever finish. Tennessee totaled 119 points to secure its second third-place finish in the last three seasons.
The first varsity eight crew was dominant all season long. The 1V8 boat compiled a 30-3 record, finishing third at the NCAA Championships and recording its third consecutive top five finish at the national regatta. UT's First Eight went unbeaten beginning April 3 and continuing through the NCAA Championships. During that stretch, the Lady Vols recorded victories over 14 ranked opponents, including seven ranked among the nation's top 10.
Meg Flanagan was named one of four finalists for the CRCA Athlete of the Year Award and was also tabbed a CSC Academic All-American. She was one of four Lady Vols selected as a CRCA First Team All-American, alongside Taryn Graves, Alex Pidgeon and Hannah Smith. A fifth Tennessee competitor, Hannah Richardson, was chosen as a CRCA Second Team All-American.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
The Volunteers extended numerous impressive program streaks during a superb 2025-26 campaign. They earned an eighth straight NCAA Tournament bid (all as a top-six seed), a sixth consecutive SEC top-four finish, a fifth straight 25-win season, a fifth consecutive AP top-20 finish, a fourth straight Sweet 16 appearance and a third consecutive Elite Eight trip.
Tennessee, which ended the year No. 12 in both polls, went 4-1 against AP top-11 opponents, including beating ninth-ranked Virginia in the Round of 32, sixth-ranked Iowa State in the Sweet 16 and third-ranked Houston in Las Vegas in November. The Volunteers became the first team ever to defeat a 30-win foe in both the NCAA Round of 64 and Round of 32.
Head coach Rick Barnes tied Roy Williams for the third-most DI NCAA Tournament bids all-time with his 30th, plus eclipsed both 850 total victories and 250 wins at Tennessee. Barnes’ team had a 44.6 percent offensive rebounding rate, the fourth-best mark this century, and set the program record for offensive boards in an SEC contest with 26 in an overtime victory at Georgia.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie received First Team All-SEC distinction from the league’s coaches. The AP SEC Newcomer of the Year set the Tennessee single-season steals record with 79 and the single-game record with eight, which he recorded twice, as well as became the fifth DI player ever with 200-plus assists, 100-plus 3-pointers and 75-plus steals in a season. Nate Ament, the third top-five recruit in program history, collected Second Team All-SEC status and was a Julius Erving Award finalist. He picked up six SEC Freshman of the Week honors, the second-most since the honor was reinstated in 2005-06, and tied for the fifth-most 27-point outings (five) by an SEC freshman in the last 20 seasons (2006-26). Felix Okpara garnered SEC All-Defensive Team recognition and became the fourth Volunteer with multiple 50-block seasons, surpassing that figure in both his campaigns on Rocky Top.
In June, Ament (No. 13), Gillespie (No. 42) and Okpara (No. 46) were all picked in the NBA Draft, with three selections tying the top mark in program history.
TRACK & FIELD
In Tennessee's fourth season under head coach Duane Ross, the Vols and Lady Vols combined for 50 All-America honors, 13 SEC medals and 17 school records over the course of the indoor and outdoor campaigns. The Big Orange capped the year with its best combined finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in more than three decades, as the Vols placed third and the Lady Vols finished 11th.
Tennessee captured its first NCAA team trophy under Ross' leadership with a third-place finish on the men's side at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, highlighted by a national title in the 4x100-meter relay. Traunard Folson, Davonte Howell, T'Mars McCallum and Elijah Clark teamed up to clock a school-record 37.98 and claim the NCAA crown. The Vols totaled 46 points in Eugene, Ore., behind a balanced scoring effort across the sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws and pole vault. JL Van Rensburg added a national runner-up finish in the shot put with his school-record throw of 20.33 meters (66-8.5), while Grant Campbell earned NCAA bronze in the high jump after clearing a lifetime-best 2.25 meters (7-4.5).
The Lady Vols finished 11th nationally outdoors behind scoring performances in the sprints, relays and pole vault. Senior Javonya Valcourt led the way with a third-place finish in the 400-meter final (50.16), while Cydney Wright, Esther Joseph, Maira Scott and Valcourt closed the meet with a third-place showing in the 4x400-meter relay (3:23.75). Tennessee also recorded top-eight NCAA finishes in the 4x100-meter relay (42.40), the 100-meter dash (Dana Wilson, 11.09) and the pole vault (Hannah Grace, 4.54m/14-10.75).
At the conference level, Ismaila Sawaneh swept the indoor and outdoor SEC titles in the men's pole vault with clearances of 5.78 meters (18-11.5) and 5.65 meters (18-6.5), respectively. True freshman Hannah Grace also captured an SEC title in the women's pole vault, winning the outdoor crown with a clearance of 4.41 meters (14-5.5).
SOCCER
The 2025 campaign was a milestone year for Tennessee soccer, as the Lady Vols earned a No. 3 national seed in the NCAA Tournament and closed the season 12-4-3 under fourth-year head coach Joe Kirt.
UT spent the entire season ranked in the United Soccer Coaches top 25 and, on Sept. 9, climbed to No. 1 for the first time in program history. The Lady Vols finished the regular season No. 9 in the RPI.
Tennessee opened the fall on a blistering 6-0-1 run behind seven consecutive shutouts, highlighted by a season-opening win over No. 1 North Carolina on Aug. 14. The 2-0 home victory over the Tar Heels was the first win over a top-ranked opponent in program history. Forward Shae O’Rourke made an instant impact in her Tennessee debut, scoring both goals for the Lady Vols.
Another marquee non-conference victory for Tennessee came on the West Coast, as the Lady Vols took down No. 4 UCLA in the third game of the season. O’Rourke notched her second game-winning goal of the campaign, as the lone name on the scoresheet in a 1-0 win.
The Lady Vols were dominant at Regal Soccer Stadium, going 7-1-1 at home and outscoring opponents 19-4, as Vol Nation delivered a program-record 24,878 fans through the gates, an average attendance of 2,764.
Defense defined the year, with Tennessee’s .632 goals-against average ranking second in the SEC and 11th nationally. The Lady Vols tied a program record with 13 shutouts, which tied for fourth in the country, while their .684 shutout percentage ranked second nationally. After establishing herself as Tennessee’s top option between the sticks, sophomore goalkeeper Cayden Norris was named to the Hermann Trophy Midseason Watchlist, awarded annually to the top player in the nation.
Senior captains Ally Brown and Mac Midgley were named United Soccer Coaches All-America Fourth Team honorees, and five Lady Vols — Brown, Midgley, Leah Klurman, Norris and Jenna Stayart — earned All-Region recognition.
Additionally, four Lady Vols received All-SEC honors. Brown was named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year and earned a First Team All-SEC nod. Midgley and Norris were Second Team All-SEC selections, while Stayart wrapped up the honors with a Third Team All-SEC selection.
MEN'S GOLF
Tennessee closed the 2025-26 season by matching its second-best NCAA Championship finish in program history. The Vols tied for seventh place in their third consecutive trip to Omni La Costa, narrowly missing the match play portion of the national championship after falling in a dramatic four-for-two playoff.
Beyond postseason success, Tennessee had two team victories in the 2025-26 season, the fifth of the Brennan Webb era with multiple wins. The crown jewel of the Vols’ regular season was a win at the Pauma Valley Invitational, topping a field consisting of eight top-15 opponents.
The tournament also saw Lance Simpson notch the first individual victory of a decorated collegiate career, closing at 10-under-par. Two months later, in his final collegiate event, Simpson would go on to earn the highest individual finish by a Vol at the NCAA Championships since 2013, tying for eighth place at 8-under-par. A prolific senior season saw Simpson earn All-America, All-SEC, and All-Region honors after posting a 70.11 scoring average and 26 rounds of par or better, both team-highs.
Fellow senior Josh Hill also earned All-Region recognition after a final campaign that featured a 70.65 scoring average and 22 rounds of par or better. The Dubai, United Arab Emirates, native had a heroic performance at the Bryan NCAA Regional to lead the Vols to an NCAA Championship berth, firing a career-best 14-under-par score to secure a third-place finish.
Outside of team competition, two Vols earned places in the field at major championships. Sophomore Jackson Herrington was granted amateur exemptions to the 2026 Masters and the 2026 U.S. Open after a runner-up finish at the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship. Despite none of the six amateurs in the field making the cut at the Masters, Herrington tied for the 36-hole low amateur score at 8-over-par.
Freshman Chase Kyes joined Herrington at Shinnecock Hills for the 2026 U.S. Open, earning his spot through local qualifying. Kyes shot 11-under-par at the Georgia site of final qualifying, withstanding “Golf’s Longest Day” to secure his first career major appearance.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
The 2026 dual season, head coach Alison Ojeda’s 10th at the helm of her alma mater, included the 33rd all-time selection to the NCAA championship tournament, including the ninth in a row. Seniors Catherine Aulia and Leyla Britez Risso, the two remaining members of the 2024 squad that reached the national semifinal, provided leadership to a Lady Vol team that saw Vanesa Suarez and Francesca Mattioli take on elevated roles, and the addition of two newcomers in January who were crucial to team success.
One of the newcomers, Katrina Scott, shook the college tennis landscape. The 21-year-old, previously a top-150 WTA singles player, became the highest-rated player by world ranking to ever commit to play college tennis. In her first season in NCAA, Scott blossomed, becoming a First Team All-SEC selection and an All-American. She defeated Texas’ Carmen Herea, the No. 1 ranked player in the country, in straight sets on March 22, becoming the first Lady Vol to defeat even a top-three opponent since at least the 2020 season. She defeated two more top-20 opponents in the final week of the regular season, propelling Tennessee to a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament and later earning SEC Player of the Week honors for her efforts.
Britez Risso emerged as a star in her fourth campaign on Rocky Top, earning ITA’s Ohio Valley Region Most Improved Player award to pair with her first All-SEC selection. She finished the regular season with a sensational 16-1 singles record, including a perfect 11-0 ledger on her home courts in Knoxville. She opened the dual season on an 11-match win streak, which extended to a 14-match streak including her last three matches of individual action. She collected seven ranked singles wins with a 7-2 record against ranked opponents this dual season, including four top-50 victories after earning just one such win in her first three campaigns.
Ojeda, who led her team to a seventh straight NCAA Round of 32 appearance, was flanked by two new assistants in 2025-26, in associate head coach Robin Goodman and assistant coach Martim Prata, who played for Tennessee’s men’s tennis program from 2019-2023.
FOOTBALL
The Tennessee football program posted its fifth consecutive winning season under head coach Josh Heupel with an 8-5 mark, including a stellar 3-1 record in road games. The Vols defeated Mississippi State, Kentucky and Florida on the road. The victory in the Swamp was the first for Tennessee in Gainesville, Fla., since 2003, as the Vols led wire-to-wire in a 31-11 triumph on Nov. 22.
The Big Orange led the SEC in scoring offense (39.8 points per game) for the second time in four years, engineered by transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar, who finished as the SEC leader in passing yards per game (274.2). Tennessee was the only school in the country with three players that totaled 800-plus receiving yards, led by Biletnikoff Award semifinalist Chris Brazzell II, who ranked first in the SEC in receiving yards during the regular season (1,017). Braylon Staley had a team-high 68 receptions for 837 yards and was named the 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year, while Mike Matthews finished his sophomore campaign with 813 receiving yards.
On the ground, DeSean Bishop earned All-SEC second team accolades after handling 182 carries for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns – becoming the third UT running back in three seasons to crack 1,000 rushing yards. The Vols' defensive unit was highlighted by excellent cornerback play from the All-SEC tandem of Colton Hood and Ty Redmond. Hood was a Thorpe Award semifinalist in his lone season on Rocky Top.
Five Tennessee players heard their names called during the 2026 NFL Draft, including Hood (second round New York Giants), Brazzell (third round Carolina Panthers), Jermod McCoy (fourth round Las Vegas Raiders), Joshua Josephs (fifth round Washington Commanders) and Tyre West (seventh round Detroit Lions).
VOLLEYBALL
The 2025 Lady Vols continued their run of success on the court, earning a fifth straight bid to the NCAA Tournament and finishing fourth in the SEC. Tennessee ended the season with a 20-8 record, its fourth 20-win campaign under head coach Eve Rackham Watt and 26th since 1973. UT would ultimately see its season end in the first round of the postseason in five sets against Utah State.
Caroline Kerr garnered AVCA All-America status for the third consecutive season, becoming just the second player in program history to be named an All-American three consecutive seasons, joining Nikki Fowler (2008-10). The redshirt junior setter eclipsed 3,000 career assists on Nov. 7 against Vanderbilt, making her the seventh player in program history to reach the milestone. Kerr finished the season with 3,259 career assists and a career average of 10.65 assists per set, both sixth-best in program history. She ranked top-10 in the SEC with 945 assists and 9.84 assists per set, earning First Team All-SEC honors.
Senior Hayden Kubik garnered First Team All-SEC and AVCA All-Region honors after leading the team in kills (390), kills per set (4.19), points (431.0) and points per set (4.63). Kubik ended the season as one of the top hitters in the SEC, ranking top-10 in both kills per set and points per set. The senior outside hitter recorded 24 matches with double-digit kills, including four with 20-plus. Kubik was selected third overall in the Major League Volleyball Draft, marking the third consecutive year a Lady Vol was picked.
Transfer libero Gülce Güçtekin was a key force in the Tennessee defense. The Istanbul, Turkey, native led the team in digs (408), digs per set (3.96) and aces (25). Güçtekin had double-digit digs in 23 matches, including six with 20 or more. Against Kentucky on Nov. 9 she had a career-high 30 digs, becoming the first Lady Vol with 30-plus since 2023.
For the second consecutive season, Tennessee set an attendance record in its season-opener, as 7,654 fans packed Food City Center for its match against USF. Seven of the program’s top 10 highest-attended matches occurred during the 2025 season, during which UT set records for season attendance (57,056) and average attendance (3,804). Tennessee ranked top-10 nationally in both total and average attendance.
BASEBALL
Under the direction of first-year head coach Josh Elander, Tennessee extended its program record streak of NCAA Tournament appearances to seven in 2026. Elander had the most successful campaign of any first-year head coach in program history despite unexpected and unique circumstances leading to his hiring. Elander took over as head coach in late October following the unprecedented departure of Tony Vitello to be the manager of the San Francisco Giants.
In his first year as skipper of the Volunteers, Elander achieved a handful of milestones, including becoming the only head coach in program history to lead his team to the NCAA Tournament in his first season. He is also the lone first-year head coach in Tennessee baseball history to win 30-plus games in his debut campaign, leading the Big Orange to a 38-22 overall record.
In Year 1 under Elander, the Vols finished 15-15 in SEC play, marking the sixth straight season in which they have finished with a .500 or better record in conference games. After a bit of a rocky start to league play, Tennessee was able to turn things around with wins in three of its last four SEC series, including triumphs over No. 13 Alabama, No. 4 Texas and Oklahoma, all of which finished the year in the College World Series.
Throughout Elander’s tenure as an assistant in Knoxville, UT ranked among the country's top offensive teams year after year, and that did not change during his first season as head coach as the Vols finished the season ranked in the top 25 nationally in doubles (127 - 17th), slugging percentage (.514 - 19th) and home runs (115 - 10th). Tennessee's 115 homers marked the fifth consecutive year that it has eclipsed the 100-home run mark, becoming the first SEC program to ever post five straight seasons with 100 or more round-trippers.
The Vols also had a first-round draft choice for the fifth straight year, as pitcher Tegan Kuhns was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 32nd overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. Tennessee finished with six total players selected in the draft and has now produced at least six draftees in each of the last six years, dating to 2021.
CROSS COUNTRY
The 2025 season marked steady progress for Tennessee cross country in Justin Duncan’s second year at the helm, highlighted by a standout freshman campaign from Mary Nyaboke Ogwoka. The Lady Vols placed seventh at the SEC Championships before securing a runner-up finish at the NCAA South Region Championships, earning a trip to the NCAA Championships for the third straight year.
Ogwoka proved to be the team’s catalyst throughout the postseason, collecting All-SEC and All-Region honors before finishing 24th at nationals to become Tennessee’s first cross country All-American since 2015. Three additional Lady Vols—Andie-Marie Jones, Jaci Sievers and Nia Clatworthy—also earned All-Region accolades.
On the men’s side, a developing Tennessee squad finished ninth at the SEC Championships and fourth at the NCAA South Region meet. Sophomore Zouhair Redouane and freshman Ty Steorts picked up All-Region honors, with Redouane advancing individually to the NCAA Championships. He closed the year with a 78th-place finish in the national 10k, rounding out a season defined by growth and key individual performances.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Tennessee continued its remarkable streak of NCAA Tournament berths, earning a bid to its 44th straight as the only program to appear every season the women’s postseason event has been held. Second-year Lady Vol head coach Kim Caldwell remained perfect in her career, guiding her 10th straight group to the Big Dance as well.
UT finished 16-14 overall and 8-8 in the Southeastern Conference in 2025-26, rising two spots to sixth place in the league standings and a No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament. Along the way, Tennessee picked up ranked wins vs. No. 11/12 Kentucky and at No. 21/21 Alabama, and it claimed victories at Georgia and Stanford. The triumph versus the Cardinal was UT’s first since 2017 and only the second at Maples Pavilion since 2005.
Big Orange fans once again displayed their incredible loyal support, producing an average crowd of 10,850 for 13 home contests that ranked as UT’s highest attendance since 2013-14 and stood as the fourth-best in the nation in 2025-26. The Lady Vols drew 11 home crowds of 10,000-plus, with a season-most 13,351 on hand against Texas on Feb. 15. The 11 games of 10,000-plus topped 2024-25's eight and ranked as the most since 14 in 2013-14. The Nov. 7 attendance of 10,671 versus ETSU was the largest in a home opener for Tennessee since 10,913 were on hand on Nov. 15, 2012, against Rice.
The 2025-26 Lady Vols featured four double-figure scorers, led by an All-SEC Second Team honoree in redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper at 16.0 ppg. Also in double figures were senior forward Janiah Barker with a career-best 14.3 ppg., SEC All-Freshman guard Mia Pauldo (10.4) and senior forward Zee Spearman (10.2).
Barker and Spearman were WNBA second round picks by Las Vegas and Dallas, respectively. Also of note, senior guard Nya Robertson set the single-game three-pointer record, draining 10 in 16 attempts against Coppin State. UT’s season total of 280 three-pointers as a team, meanwhile, finished second in program history and seventh in the SEC record book.
MEN'S TENNIS
The Vols' year was highlighted by the rise of Jose Garcia and Boruch Skierkier. Head coach Chris Woodruff has turned Garcia into a solid hometown prospect that can compete competitively on the biggest stage. The Knoxville native had a breakout year, earning his first appearance in the national polls and claiming the ITA Ohio Valley Most Improved Player Award.
Skierkier, meanwhile, was a powerhouse at the Division II level whom Woodruff brought to Rocky Top. The Argentine was turned into one of the most consistent players for UT, winning 17 matches and only losing five in his lone season in the Division I ranks.
Those two individuals helped to pull out a huge 4-3 win on March 15 against archrival Alabama. The victory was sparked by the singles play, which was one of the strong points from the Vols across the campaign. After dropping the doubles point, courts one, four, five and six delivered straight-set victories to claim the four points to win. Piotr Siekanowicz provided the true comeback of the match, turning around a 1-4 deficit in the first set to a 6-4, 6-3 triumph for the deciding point in the victory. The result extended the Vols’ winning over the Tide to 12 in a row, since 2017.
The Volunteers were dominant against in-state foes, going 5-1. The Vols started the year by beating ETSU twice in the dual-match opener and matching that performance with wins over Chattanooga and Belmont. The singles dominance showed in these matchups as well, as UT twice collected singles sweeps across all six courts.
