2024 Softball Roster | SEC Champions
Roster
Puni, Zaida
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballC/OF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballUT
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF/1B
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballINF/C
/ SoftballC/3B
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballOF/INF
/ Softball
Jersey Number 11
Zaida Puni
- Position:
- Infielder
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 5-8
- B/T:
- R/R
- Hometown:
- Carson, Calif.
- High School:
- St. Anthony's
Bio
CAREER HIGHS
- At Bats: 5 vs. Mississippi State (5/12/22)
- Runs: 4 (3x) last vs. Virginia Tech (4/11/23)
- Hits: 4 at Virginia Tech (4/11/23)
- RBIs: 8 vs. Howard (2/10/23)
- Doubles: 3 at Virginia Tech (4/11/23)
- Triples: 1 (3x) last vs. Mercer (4/6/23)
- Home Runs: 2 (6x) last vs. Mississippi State (4/14/2024)
- Stolen Bases: 1 vs. Lipscomb (3/30/22)
- Walks: 3 at Ole Miss (5/1/22)
- Hit By Pitch: 2 at Texas A&M (4/2)
- Hit Streak: 6 (2x) last between (5/29/23 - 6/1/23)
CAREER HONORS
- 2024 NFCA Southeast All-Region
- 2024 All-SEC Second Team
- 2023 Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team
- 2023 All-SEC First Team
- 2022 NFCA All-Southeast Region Third Team
- 2022 All-SEC Second Team
2024 - SENIOR
- Went 2-for-4, with one RBI against Virginia in the NCAA Regionals (5/19)
- Earned one hit and two RBIs in the victory over Virginia in the NCAA Regionals (5/18)
- Tallied one hit, one run, and two RBIs in the weekend series against Kentucky (5/2-4)
- Produced three hits and two hits in the game one victory over Alabama (4/26)
- Blasted one home run and earned two RBIs in the victory over Belmont (4/23)
- Went 2-for-4 at the plate with a solo blast for one RBI during Tennessee's second game against Auburn (3/30)
- Knocked one home run and earned five RBIs as well as three walks during the sweep of South Carolina (3/24-26)
- Closed out game two going 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBIs. She hit her second home run of the day in the game's first innings (3/8)
- In her three at bats against Missouri State (3/8), posted two RBIs, including one home run
- Tallied a home run and an RBI in the 7-0 shutout over Longwood (3/4)
- Went 1-for-2 at the plate against Brown (3/2), contributing one hit and one run
- Blasted a home run to go along with three RBIs in Tennessee's 8-0 shutout against Stetson (3/2)
- Knocked her first home run of the season over the right wall during Tennessee's 10-2 defeat of Hawai'i (2/25)
- Tallied a hit on three at bats during Tennessee's win over LMU (2/23)
- Doubled to left field for one RBI in the Lady Vols 14-0 shutout against Kennesaw State (2/14)
- Opened the season with one RBI and one walk as the Lady Vols shutout UT Arlington in a 15-0 defeat (2/8)
2023 - JUNIOR
- Started 56 games for Tennessee in 2023
- Finished the season with a .363 average, 1.187 OPS with 32 runs, 14 doubles, 14 home runs and tied for the team lead in RBIs at 60
- Named to the 2023 Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team, alongside teammate Kiki Milloy.
- Doubled off the wall to score a run and then came across to score herself during Tennessee's win over Oklahoma State (6/4) to advance to the national semifinals
- Continued her hot streak at the plate with a two-run double in the opening game of the WCWS against Alabama (6/1)
- After smashing four home runs in NCAA Regional action, her first at-bat against Texas in the NCAA Knoxville Super Regional was a three-run rocket high off the scoreboard in left-center (5/26).
- For the second time in three days, she delivered a multi-homer game in NCAA Regional play; she left the yard in the first inning (two-run shot) and fifth inning (solo) against Indiana (5/21).
- During Tennessee's 12-0 triumph over Northern Kentucky on the opening day of the NCAA Knoxville Regional (5/19), she started and ended the scoring for the Lady Vols with a solo home run in the first and a three-run blast in the fourth.
- Notched three hits, including an RBI double in UT's 4-0 win over Florida in the SEC Tournament (5/12)
- Registered an RBI double against South Carolina (5/7)
- Crushed a three-run homer in UT's 4-2 win over South Carolina (5/6)
- Ripped a game-tying, two-run double against Arkansas (4/30)
- Notched a go-ahead RBI single in UT's 3-1 win over Arkansas (4/29)
- Registered two hits and drove in a run in Tennessee's 10-6 win over Florida (4/24)
- Crushed a three-run blast over the left-field wall in UT's 11-10 win over Florida (4/23)
- Hit a game-tying home run in UT's 7-3 win over Kennesaw State (4/18)
- Notched three hits, including an RBI single in Tennessee's 15-1 win over Kentucky (4/16)
- Tallied three RBIs on two hits in UT's 10-2 win against Kentucky (4/15)
- Recorded a career-high four hits and three doubles while driving in two runs in UT's 11-0 win over Virginia Tech (4/11)
- Ripped a two-run RBI single against Alabama (3/25)
- Ripped an RBI single in UT's 5-1 win over Alabama (3/24)
- Hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in Tennessee's 3-0 win over LSU (3/18)
- Crushed a solo shot over left field in UT's 6-0 conference-opening win over Ole Miss (3/10)
- Notched two hits and recorded an RBI on a successful in Tennessee's 5-0 win over UIC (2/26)
- Blasted a two-run homer in Tennessee's 12-0 win over UIC (2/25)
- Recorded a double and a triple in UT's 9-0 at USF (2/24)
- Went 3-for-4, recorded three RBIs and scored two runs in Tennessee's 13-0 win over Michigan State (2/24)
- Notched an RBI single in UT's 5-1 win over Liberty (2/18)
- Registered an RBI double in UT's 11-0 win over Sacramento State (2/16)
- Recorded two hits and drove in two runs as UT beat Illinois 9-2 (2/10)
- Blasted two three-run homers and racked up a total of eight RBIs in Tennessee's 21-1 win over Howard (2/10)
2022 - SOPHOMORE
- FEATURE: Zaida Puni found a family with Tennessee softball but plays for her family, Samoan community
- Played and started 58 games in her debut season on Rocky Top
- Tied for the team lead with 53 RBIs while ranking second on the squad in hits (52), homers (14) and slugging (.591)
- Led the Lady Vols in conference play with nine homers and 25 RBIs, tying for third in the SEC in league action
- Posted 13 multi-hit and 13 multi-RBI outings on the season, both second-most on the team
- Tallied three RBIs in UT's NCAA Tournament opener a 9-1 win over Campbell (5/20)
- Crushed a pair of homers and had four RBIs as she led Tennessee to a 7-4 win over No. 16 Auburn (5/7)
- Finished with a career-tying three hits and blasted her 12th homer of the year in a 7-2 win at Liberty (4/27)
- Brought in two runs on a 2-for-3 performance in Tennessee's 9-1 win over East Carolina (4/24)
- Blasted a go-ahead three-run homer against UNC Greensboro (4/23) in a 4-2 victory
- Crushed a two-run shot over right center to lead Tennessee to a 5-1 win over Texas A&M (4/18)
- Demolished a two-run walk-off homer to give the Lady Vols a 7-5 victory over Texas A&M (4/16)
- Drove in four RBIs to help give the Lady Vols a 7-2 victory at No. 6 Florida (3/26)
- Brought in a career-high six RBIs in UT's 6-2 win over No. 10 Arkansas (3/20)—blasting a grand slam, roping an RBI double and recording an RBI groundout
- Drove in a pair of runs as UT downed Memphis (3/15) at the Midstate Classic
- Crushed her second homer of the day in game two at No. 8 Mizzou (3/13), helping the Lady Vols secure the doubleheader sweep
- Hit 3-for-3 in her SEC debut at No. 8 Missouri (3/13), highlighted by a three-run homer in the top of the first
- Roped an RBI double as the Lady Vols picked up a 7-1 victory vs. Dartmouth (3/5)
- Notched three RBIs with a go-ahead sac fly and game-tying two-run shot in UT's 7-5 win over Virginia (3/4)
- Cranked an opposite field solo blast in the home opener vs. Tennessee Tech (3/2)
- Smacked a leadoff double to center field in the bottom of the fourth vs. Oregon State (2/25)
- Went 2-for-3 with a double and a two-RBI single through the middle vs. UC San Diego (2/25)
- Drove in a run on her first sac fly of the season vs. UC Davis (2/24)
- Had a breakout performance vs. BYU (2/24) at the Mary Nutter Classic, hitting 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and a two-RBI single to center field
- Plated a run on an infield single in UT's second consecutive victory at FIU (2/12)
- Recorded her first RBI as a Lady Vol with a single to left field against FIU (2/12)
- Made her Tennessee debut in the Lady Vols' opening day win over UNC Greensboro (2/11)
2021 - FRESHMAN (AT OKLAHOMA)
- Member of the 2021 Women's College World Series championship team at Oklahoma
- Played in 16 games as a true freshman and hit .357 in her 14 at bats
- Hit one home run and three doubles and collected six RBIs
- Slugged .786 and finished the year with an on-base percentage of .471
- Made an appearance as a pinch hitter in the NCAA Norman Regional vs. Wichita State (5/23)
- Registered a hit in her one at-bat vs. Morgan State at the NCAA Norman Regional (5/21)
- Went 1-for-1 with a double at Wichita State (5/4)
- Had an RBI double vs. Liberty (3/14)
- Hit her first career home run on a two-run shot vs. Sam Houston (3/7)
- Had a season-high three RBIs in a 1-for-3, three runs scored and one double performance vs. New Mexico (2/27)
- Made her collegiate debut at Houston, registering one at-bat as a pinch hitter (2/21)
HIGH SCHOOL/TRAVEL BALL
- Attended St. Anthony's High School in Carson, California, and played travel ball for the OC Batbusters
- As a junior, batted .382, scoring 21 runs on 31 hits, including 27 RBIs, 26 stolen bases and 16 home runs
- First team All-CIF honoree in 2019 while helping St. Anthony’s to the CIF Division 6 Championship
- Helped lead her club team to the 2019 18U USA World Fast Pitch Championship in the summer of 2019
- Ranked as the No. 25 player in the country by Extra Inning Softball and No. 79 by FloSoftball
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Selestina and Iotamo Puni
- Has three siblings, Juju, Zaniah and Zyra
- Her uncle, Michael Alo, played football at USC and aunt, Adrienne Alo, played softball at Oregon State
- Majoring in psychology
- Chose to attend the University of Tennessee because of the academics and the family feel
- Transferred to UT from Oklahoma after her freshman season and has four years of eligibility remaining
- Recipient of the Smokey Hensley Women's Athletics Endowed Scholarship
SB | Tennessee Postgame vs. Nebraska (5.25.25)
Sunday, May 25
SB | Tennessee Postgame vs. Nebraska (5.24.25)
Saturday, May 24
SB | Tennessee Postgame vs. Nebraska (5.23.25)
Friday, May 23
SB | Tennessee Postgame vs. Ohio State (5.18.25)
Sunday, May 18
