By Stephen Mason
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Emotions were running high in the Food City Center before this afternoon’s match between the No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers vs. the Oklahoma Sooners. The Lady Vols honored the five seniors who were playing in what will probably be their last game on Rocky Top.
Putting their emotions to the side, Tennessee locked in as soon as the match started and took the first two sets 25-11 and 25-15 as they put together two of their cleanest sets of the season. Oklahoma was not going away without a fight and took the third set 25-21. However, Coach Eve Rackham Watt rallied her team before the fourth set, and they won it 25-19, ending the regular season with a win and giving Rackham Watt her 150th career win.
“I am fortunate to be in a place with the tremendous support of the administration and a terrific staff and to have coached some amazing players,” Rackham Watt said. “150 wins is great, but I’m looking forward to more.”
Today’s win not only marked a milestone in Rackham Watt’s career, but it also secured Tennessee the fourth seed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament next weekend in Savannah, Georgia. The fourth seed will give the team more time to rest and prepare, as they will sit out the first two rounds.
“It’s a big advantage to get that seed, I’m really happy for the team as they’ve worked really hard this year to have that come into fruition,” Rackham Watt said. “We still have a lot of volleyball left to play.”
Rackham Watt is also pleased with how her team is peaking at the right time, beginning with their performances last weekend when they beat Vanderbilt and lost in four sets to a No. 2 Kentucky team that is undefeated in SEC play, and continuing this weekend with a sweep of Arkansas and today’s win over Oklahoma.
One key addition to the team in this final stretch has been the return of the 6-foot-6 middle blocker Klaudia Pawlik, who was unable to play for the first eight weeks of the season due to injury. The five-year senior who has dedicated her entire collegiate career to Tennessee recorded three kills and six blocks in today’s game.
“It meant everything to me to get back onto the court,” Pawlik said. “Every senior thinks they are going to play every game of their last year, and being out of the game for nearly half the season has been really hard. It made me extra motivated to work harder and get back on the court as soon as I can.”
Since returning to the court, Pawlik’s disruptive presence has made things a lot more difficult for Tennessee’s opponents. Still, even during her injury, she played an important role in Tennessee’s locker room. In a postgame video honoring the seniors, Pawlik’s teammates called her the “mother” of the team.
“I’m the oldest one on the team, so that is what I do,” Pawlik said. “I want to help those girls get to where they want to go. I try to give them advice and take care of them, because that is what people have done for me.”
It was an important weekend for both Pawlik, a native of Poland, and senior libero Gulce Guctekin, an Istanbul native, as both of their parents made the trip across the Atlantic to watch their daughters play in what could be their final games in the Food City Center.
While it is a long shot at this point, Tennessee could return to play on Rocky Top if it boosts its résumé enough during the SEC Tournament. To do this, the Lady Vols would have to earn a top 16 seed in the NCAA tournament, which, as the No. 19 team in the country, they are currently not in a position to do. However, with the SEC as competitive as it is, a good run in the SEC Tournament might convince the committee to give the team hosting privileges.
Up Next
Tennessee will travel to Savannah, Georgia, to play in the SEC Tournament. Their first game will be played on Sunday at 2 p.m. against the 13th, 12th, or fifth seed.