Tennessee Women's Golf Year-by-Year Archive
2023-24Â Season
Record:Â 93-68-2
SEC Finish:Â 9th
Postseason:Â NCAA Bermuda Run Regional (6th)
Coach: Diana Cantu (3rd season)
Additionally, UT advanced to its 30th NCAA Regional in program history.Â
At NCAA Regionals, Bailey Davis notched a third-place finish, which was her best of the season and the second-best of her collegiate career.Â
2022-23Â Season
Record:Â 74-84-4
SEC Finish:Â T-11th
Postseason:Â NCAA Westfield Regional (T-7th)
Coach: Diana Cantu (2nd season)
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Tennessee hosted the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate in September, where sophomore Bailey Davis carded a 63 (-8) in the second round, tying the second-lowest round (relative to par) in program history. Davis concluded the tournament tied for second place at -10 (203), notching the third-lowest 54-hole score in Lady Vol history.
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UT logged its best team finish at the Illini Women’s Invitational at Medinah, shooting -10, the lowest 54-hole score under head coach Diana Cantu.
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In March, Tennessee traveled to the Clover Cup in Mesa, Arizona, where freshman Angela Arora posted a three-day score of -11 (205) to claim the individual tournament title, the second-lowest 54-hole score (relative to par) in program history.
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The Lady Vols were selected to the NCAA Westfield Regional as the No. 7 seed. Junior Vanessa Gilly led with a top-10 finish, tying for ninth place at -5. Tennessee tied for seventh place at -1 out of the 12-team field.Â
2021-22Â Season
Record:Â 41-95-2
SEC Finish:Â 8th
Postseason: Mikayla Bardwell advanced to NCAA Franklin Regional as an individual and placed T33rd
Coach: Diana Cantu (1st season)
Tennessee’s women’s golf team kicked off their 2021-22 season under first-year head coach and former All-SEC Lady Vol standout, Diana Cantu. After their debut at the Cougar Classic, the Lady Vols hosted the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship in September. Tennessee concluded the tournament in sixth place, as Vanessa Gilly, Nicole Whiston and Kayla Holden all logged top-20 performances.Â
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Following the Blessings Collegiate Invitational and the Jim West Challenge, UT wrapped up the fall season at The Ally in West Point, Mississippi. Freshman Bailey Davis shot -7 and recorded the first top-10 finish (T6) of her collegiate career.Â
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To commence the spring slate, Senior Mikayla Bardwell posted a career-low 54-hole score to lead the Lady Vols to a seventh-place finish at the ICON Invitational. Bardwell shot 7-under and tied for sixth place.Â
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Following the Gators Invitational and Valspar Augusta Invitational, Tennessee concluded its regular season with two Lady Vols posting top-20 finishes at the Clemson Invitational. Mikayla Bardwell placed tied for 15thand Kayla Holden finished tied for 19th place.Â
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Mikayla Bardwell and the Lady Vols had a record-breaking performance at the SEC Championship in Birmingham. Bardwell shot a 9-under par round to break the Tennessee program and SEC Championship record for lowest round. She concluded match play in third place, her best finish of the season. Her impressive round helped pace UT to its first match play appearance in program history.Â
2020-21Â Season
Record:Â 53-85-4
SEC Finish:Â T-9th
Postseason: NCAA Louisville Regional (10th), Mikayla Bardwell advanced to NCAA Championship as an individual and placed T97th
Coach: Judi Pavon (21st season)
The Lady Vols’ 2020-21 campaign saw them reach the program’s 28th consecutive trip to NCAA Regionals, as Tennessee competed at the Louisville Regional and placed tenth. In the final tournament of the fall portion of the season, Tennessee shot 1-over at the Liz Murphey Fall Collegiate Classic for a second-place finish and was just one stroke behind first place. Mikayla Bardwell claimed the title share at Liz Murphey in November and that performance marked the start of three-straight top-seven efforts.
Freshman Kayla Holden began her collegiate career with back-to-back tournaments in her home state of Florida to begin the spring season. In the second tournament appearance of her career, at the Gators Invitational, Holden finished tied for sixth (+2, 212) and won the SEC Freshman of the Week Award. Tennessee’s lowest team score of the season came at the SEC Championship in April, when the Lady Vols shot -11 (853). The three-day performance tied the seventh-best team score after 54 holes in Lady Vol program history. Tennessee narrowly missed the cut line for match play and finished the SEC Championship in a tie for ninth. Fifth-year senior Micheala Williams-Luck shot -7 (209) and freshman Vanessa Gilly went -6 (210) in Birmingham, Alabama, at the SEC Championship.
To conclude the regular season, sophomore Nicole Whiston won SEC Newcomer of the Week after an even-par (216) performance in which she tied for sixth place at the LSU Tiger Golf Classic
A tenth place finish (+18) at NCAA Regionals was highlighted by Bardwell’s second place individual finish as she advanced to the NCAA Championship as an individual after a score of 66 in round three, having shot -3 (213) overall. She placed T97 in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the NCAA Championship.
2019-20 Season
Record:Â 55-91-0
SEC Finish: N/A
Postseason:Â N/A
Coach: Judi Pavon (20th season)
Despite Tennessee's spring season being cut short due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Lady Vols found some success throughout the fall and part of the spring. At their own home tournament, UT finished fourth out of 16 teams after firing a final round of 274 (-10) to break the program record for the lowest recorded round. The Big Orange recorded another top finish by placing fourth out of 11 at the Magnolia Invitational in the fall portion of the schedule that featured four players inside the top-25.Â
During the spring slate, the Lady Vols had their best finish of fifth out of 16 teams at the Westbrook Invitational. The team recorded a season-best score of 851 (-13) as sophomore Hadley Walts recorded a career-best round of 66 (-5) in the final round, marking the third-best third round in school history. Overall, Tennessee only competed in three tournaments in the spring - including a trip to Guadalajara, Mexico - before the season came to a halt.Â
2018-19Â Season
Record:Â 100-73-2
SEC Finish: 10th
Postseason: NCAA Auburn Regional (6th), NCAA Championships (24th)
Coach: Judi Pavon (19th season)
The Lady Vols capped off the season with their 14th trip to the NCAA Tournament in program history and the 12th in the Judi Pavon era. Tennessee is one of just 21 schools in the country to have 14 or more appearances in the NCAA Championships. The season was highlighted by six top-5 finishes including a pair of team victories at the Starmount Classic and the Florida Atlantic Winter Warm Up. At the FAU Winter Warm Up in Feburary, the Lady Vols won by a school record 42 strokes over the field while sophomore Mariah Smith won the individual crown.
Tennessee was the only school in the SEC to have three individual champions in 2018-19 as freshman Malia Stovall and junior Micheala Williams joined Smith as individual winners. Williams, who won at the Florida Gators Invitational in Match also was named Co-Champion of the Clemson Invitational to cap off the regular season. She would go on to earn All-SEC second team honors, leading the Lady Vols in stroke average (73.14), rounds of par or better (14), top-10 finishes (6) and rounds in the 60s (8).
2017-18 Season
Record: 73-81-2
SEC Finish: 12th
Postseason: NCAA Tallahassee Regional (11th), Micheala Williams advanced to NCAA Championship as an individual and placed 27th
Coach: Judi Pavon (18th season)
The Lady Vols found success early in 2017-18, charting three straight top-three finishes to close out the fall season, including a third place finish at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship. The Big Orange wasn't quite as strong down the stretch as the team battled tough fields and conditions. Still, the Orange and White claimed the No. 10 seed in the Tallahassee Regional and the program's 26th consecutive trip to the NCAA postseason.
Highlights from the season included the Vols carding six top-seven finishes while having seven different players lead the team at tournaments. The Vols entered their 26th consecutive regional tournament with five top-five finishes on the season. Additionally, UT collected eight top-10 placements individually. Most notably, sophomore Micheala Williams carded carded a 9-under 207 in the Tallahassee Regional to place seventh and advance to the NCAA Championship as an individual where she notched a 27th place finish.
2016-17 Season
Record: 87-58-4
SEC Finish: 7th
Postseason: NCAA Athens Regional (8th)
Coach: Judi Pavon (17th season)
The Vols found success early in 2016-17, charting top-five finishes in all four tournaments of the fall season, including a third place finish at the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational. The Big Orange wasn't quite as strong down the stretch, though, as the team battled tough fields and conditions. Still, the Orange and White completed another season with an overall winning record (87-58-4) and finished seventh at the SEC Championships and eighth at the NCAA Athens Creek Regional.
Highlights from the season included the Vols carding nine top-eight finishes while having a different player lead the lineup each tournament. The Vols entered their 25th consecutive regional tournament with six top-five finishes on the season. Additionally, UT collected 14 top-10 placements individually. Most notably, freshman Micheala Williams carded three birdies on her final four holes of the SEC Championship to move up four spots into a tie for seventh place.
Record: 95-78-0
SEC Finish: 8th
Postseason: NCAA Championship (16th)
Coach: Judi Pavon (16th season)
For the second consecutive year, the Vols distinguished themselves as one of the top women's golf programs in the country, placing 16th at the NCAA Championship. Tennessee was led by sophomore Anna Newell who not only placed 4th at the NCAA Championship, but also earned First Team All-America honors from the Women's Golf Coaches Association. Additionally, Newell set two NCAA records--54-hole record for total strokes (198) and relation to par (-18)--en route to earning the indiviual title at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown.
Record: 138-36-1
SEC Finish: 4th
Postseason: NCAA Championships 5th
Coach: Judi Pavon (15th season)
Led by sophomore Lucia Polo, freshman Anna Newell and senior AJ Newell, the Vols made their 23rd consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and 10th NCAA Championships appearance during the 2014-15 season. The team captured the 2015 Westbrook Spring and SDSU Farms Invitationals with AJ Newell claiming medalist honors at the Westbrook Spring Invitational. Tennessee finished its season in 5th place at the NCAA Championships. Anna Newell and Lucia Polo garnered second-team All-SEC honors.
Record: 61-108-4 (.361)
SEC Finish: 13th
Postseason: NCAA Washington Regional (16th)
Coach: Judi Pavon (14th season)
Fueled by lone senior Chessey Thomas, the Lady Vols made their 22nd consecutive NCAA Regional appearance during the 2013-14 season. The team captured the 2014 Lady Bulldog championship with Thomas scoring the individual title. UT finished its season with a 16th place finish at the NCAA Washington Regional.
SEC Finish: 9th
Postseason: 9th NCAA Auburn Regional
Coach: Judi Pavon (13th season)
The Lady Vols relied on the solid play of their seniors, Erica Popson and Sara Monberg, to see them through the 2012-13 season. The team had a season-best finish (runner-up) at the Mercedes-Benz Championship while Popson won the FSU Seminole Match Up. UT capped off its season with a ninth place finish at the NCAA Auburn Regional and Popson went on to finish T-29th at the NCAA Championship as an individual.
SEC Finish: 11th
Postseason: 19th NCAA Championships
Coach: Judi Pavon (12th season)
The Lady Vols collected two tournament victories in 2011-12, winning the LSU Tiger Classic and the Bryan National Intercollegiate. UT came out with a fourth place finish at the NCAA Central Regional, punching a ticket the 11th NCAA Championship appearance in program history where Tennessee finished 19th.
SEC Finish: 6th
Postseason: 13th NCAA Championships
Coach: Judi Pavon (11th season)
In the fall Tennessee won its third-consecutive Mercedes-Benz Women's Collegiate Championship; Tennessee took the Rebel Intercollegiate title in the spring before placing second at the NCAA West Regional and finishing 13th at NCAAs. Erica Popson nabbed individual medalist honors five times over the course of the season, including the SEC Championship and the NCAA West Regional.
SEC Finish: 4th
Postseason: 17th NCAA Championships
Coach: Judi Pavon (10th season)
The Lady Vols won the Mercedes-Benz Women's Collegiate Championships and the Alamo Invitational back-to-back to wrap up the fall. UT placed second at the NCAA East Regional to vault the squad to its unprecedented sixth NCAA Championship in seven years, where it placed 19th.
SEC Finish: 4th
Postseason: 17th NCAA Championships
Coach: Judi Pavon (9th season)
After placing in the top-10 only once in four fall tournaments, the Lady Vols reeled off six consecutive top-eight placements en route to the national championship tournament. Nathalie Mansson burst on to the collegiate scene that season by capturing All-East Region, All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman Team honors, while leading the Lady Vols with a UT freshman record average of 73.79.
SEC Finish: 8th
Postseason: 16th NCAA East Regional
Coach: Judi Pavon (8th season)
The Lady Vols opened the fall season with two second-place finishes, but struggled to find consistency in the spring, missing the NCAA Championships for the first time in five seasons.
SEC Finish: 3rd
Postseason: T-17th NCAA Championships
Coach: Judi Pavon (7th season)
Marci Turner captured her second All-America award in 2006-07, while sophomore Nicole Smith nabbed her first A-A honor, as the Lady Vols capped the season with a 17th-place finish at their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Championship. Turner also became the second Lady Vol to earn the prestigious Edith Cummings Munson Award given to the All-American with the highest grade point average in the country.
SEC Finish: 2nd
Postseason: T-13th NCAA Tournament
Coach: Judi Pavon (6th season)
Pavon snagged SEC Coach of the Year accolades after leading the Lady Vols to three event titles in 2005-06. The Big Orange took first at the NCAA East Regional and 13th at the NCAA Championships.
SEC Finish: T-4th
Postseason: T-6th NCAA Championship
Coach: Judi Pavon (5th season)
Tennessee tied for sixth place at the NCAA Championships, qualifying to the tournament by winning the NCAA West Regional. Violeta Retamoza had one of the best seasons in Big Orange history by capturing SEC Player of the Year and First Team All-SEC honors.
SEC Finish: 4th
Postseason: 11th NCAA Championships
Coach: Judi Pavon (4th season)
The Lady Vols returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2000 campaign, where they finished 11th. Individual achievements included Jessica Shepley earning honorable mention All-America laurels and Violeta Retamoza tying for first at the SEC Championship.
SEC Finish: 3rd
Postseason: 18th NCAA Central Regional
Coach: Judi Pavon (3rd season)
Tennessee won three tournament titles, including the Lady Kat Invitational, Auburn Derby, and Lady Boilermaker Invitational. Violeta Retamoza took the college scene by storm, gaining Second Team All-America accolades and joining Jessica Shepley on the All-SEC First Team.
SEC Finish: 3rd
Postseason: 10th NCAA East Regional
Coach: Judi Pavon (2nd season)
In Pavon's second full year as head coach, the Lady Vols won the Alabama Capstone Intercollegiate tournament and finished the season ranked No. 8 for the second straight year. Young-A Yang capped her career as the first four-time All-American in program history.
