SEATTLE — The fourth-seeded Lady Vols will get a chance at revenge in an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 matchup with top-seeded Virginia Tech at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Saturday.
Tennessee fell to then-No. 9 Virginia Tech in Thompson-Boling Arena 59-56 on December 4 as part of the Jimmy V Women's Classic. Lady Vols' senior guard Jordan Horston posted a game-high 26 points along with 11 rebounds but missed a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.
Virginia Tech star forward and two-time reigning ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley will be a huge factor for the Hokies in the Sweet 16 matchup. Kitley was held to just six points when these teams met in December and she matched up against Tennessee's Tamari Key. That game turned out to be Key's last game of the season after blood clots forced her to sit out the remainder of the year. Kitley averages 18.2 points per game and 10.8 rebounds in 32 games this season.
The Lady Vols' leading scorer Rickea Jackson did not play in the Dec. 4 battle against the Hokies, and neither did Jasmine Powell or Jillian Hollingshead. Jackson has averaged 19.3 points per game and 6.1 rebounds this season and she will be a crucial piece if the Lady Vols want to take down the top seed.
These teams met in the Sweet 16 on March 20, 1999, in a 68-52 Tennessee victory. Tennessee went on to lose to Duke in the Elite 8 that season.
The Lady Vols' Sweet 16 matchup against Virginia Tech is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 25. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2. The winner will play Ohio State in the Elite 8.
