By Brody Rupert
Tennessee athletics had a fantastic week, capped by the football team kicking No. 6 Kentucky back to Lexington with a 34-6 win in a rocking Neyland Stadium.
There was hardly a fault on or off Rocky Top this week.
Lady Vols soccer moves on from Joe Kirt
The Lady Vols wrapped up the regular season Nov. 1 with a 3-1 win over the Oklahoma Sooners, snapping an eight-game winless streak.
Two goals by Emerson Moore and one by Cora Fry tied the team’s high for goals scored in Southeastern Conference play this season, matching their SEC opener against LSU.
However, the late-season winless streak proved too much to overcome.
In the preseason rankings, Tennessee sat at No. 24, and by the start of SEC play Sept. 11, the Lady Vols were ranked No. 8 in the country. By the end of the regular season, Tennessee held a 7-5-4 overall record and a 2-5-3 mark in conference play.
“It will help us. How much?” former head coach Joe Kirt asked after the win. “We’ll see at the end of the week.”
The win was not enough to save Kirt’s job. He was let go less than 24 hours after his postgame press conference.
Missing the SEC tournament is unacceptable for a program with high expectations, and tying a program low with just two conference victories sealed Kirt’s fate. After five seasons under Kirt, Tennessee is searching for a new head coach.
Associate head coach Jonathan Morgan will serve as interim head coach until further notice.
Lady Vols basketball starts off strong
It did not take long for 15 new players to mesh for the Lady Vols.
A pair of victories against Duquesne and Coppin State propelled the team to a 2-0 start.
Despite the wins, a slow first quarter has emerged as a potential concern through two games. Even in 38- and 47-point blowouts, the Lady Vols led by only two and six points after the opening quarter.
Once past the sluggish starts, however, Tennessee took control.
The most pleasant surprise through two games has been Kaylene Smikle. She opened the season with 31 points against Duquesne, sinking five 3-pointers, before following up with an 18-point performance on 7-of-12 shooting.
Freshman Gabby Minus has also impressed, scoring 13 points in her debut before recording a double-double in her second game.
Tennessee is spreading the scoring around, featuring six players in double figures during a 109-point home opener and four in a 98-point road win.
Things are looking up for the Lady Vols after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.
Volleyball bounces back after rough road trip
Lady Vols volleyball returned home hungry after dropping two matches on the road, and the team responded in dominant fashion.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs visited Knoxville and left empty-handed as Tennessee swept them 3-0.
Anni Tang posted a career-best performance with eight kills, taking over the match in the second set. Kennedi Rogers and Jalyn Stout led the attack, combining for 29 of Tennessee’s 55 kills. Caroline Kerr added 34 assists to her career tally, pushing her past 4,000 career assists as the Vols coasted past the Bulldogs.
Two days later, Tennessee swept the Alabama Crimson Tide in three sets. Stout and Rogers combined for 25 kills while Kerr registered 33 assists, closing out a perfect week for Tennessee athletics and solidifying the Lady Vols’ standing as a top-10 team in the nation.
Sunday’s victory also came on the day when the four seniors were celebrated. Tennessee will finish the regular season with two road games next weekend, with the SEC and NCAA Tournaments looming large on the horizon.