KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee softball opens the season on Friday and they're motivated by their tough end to the last season.
The Lady Vols were ousted in the NCAA Regionals and that has stuck with this team since. The thought of not making the College World Series has left a sour taste in their mouth through the offseason.
"Looking back at it, we should have been there," outfielder Kiki Milloy said. "That was ours to take and we didn't take it. This year that's on the forefront of our minds, we are going all the way."
Her teammates agreed.
"That sick feeling of watching other teams play for the regional on your home turf is just something that just sits with you and it festers inside," said Ashley Rogers, a pitcher. "So we don't want that to happen again, we don't expect that to happen again and we aren't going to let it so we expect to go all the way this year."
Both Milloy and Rogers are preseason All-American selections by D1 Softball. They both were also named to USA Softball's Top 50 Watchlist for National Player of the Year. They also got preseason All-SEC honors too.
The Lady Vols come in ranked 16th by UESPN and SA Softball and 18th by D1 Softball. USA TODAY and the NFCA Coaches Poll ranked them 22nd in the country.
There is a big change for Tennessee this season as former co-head coach Ralph Weekly retired this past June. His wife and now sole head coach Karen Weekly takes on all responsibilities as the head coach.
The two had been co-head coaches since 2002 before Ralph retired. He helped lead the Lady Vols to seven College World Seers appearances with two runner-up seasons. He finished his career fourth all-time in the NCAA in wins as a head coach.
Tennessee has gone 18 consecutive seasons with 40 wins and looks to extend that streak this season.
The Lady Vols begin their season in the Felsburg Invitational on Friday in Miami.