Along with all other UT women's sports teams, it used the nickname "Lady Volunteers" (or the short form "Lady Vols") until the 2015–16 school year, when the school dropped the "Lady" prefix from the nicknames of all women's teams except in basketball.[2] In September 2017, the “Lady Volunteers” name was reinstated for all women's athletics teams.[3]
Overview
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The Lady Vols first fielded a softball team in 1996 with Jim Beitia as head coach.[4][5] In 2002, Tennessee hired the husband and wife team and former Chattanooga coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly as co-head coaches. Since 2004, the team has reached the NCAA Tournament every year and the Women's College World Series eight times.[6] Under the Weekly's, Tennessee has been one of only two programs (the other is Alabama) to be an NCAA Top-16 seed every year since the current format was adopted in 2005. One particularly notable season came in 2007 when the Lady Vols managed to make history, finishing 63–8 for the program's best winning percentage of .887.[7] The 2007 season culminated in a third-straight trip to the WCWS where Tennessee became the first SEC program to reach the best-of-three NCAA Championship Series, before falling to champion Arizona.[8] That year, the team managed two wins over No. 4 Arizona, in addition to other triumphs against No. 6 Northwestern and No. 7 Texas A&M. These results propelled the Lady Vols to a record 11 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll,[9] becoming the first SEC school to reach the top ranking in the league's softball history.[6] Tennessee would again reach the national championship series in 2013 as the No. 7 seed, where they ultimately fell to No. 1 Oklahoma.[10]
The Sherri Parker Lee Stadium is the home venue for the Lady Vols, replacing Tyson Park. Opened in 2008, the stadium can seat 1,614 spectators as well as three press boxes, four VIP suites and an observation deck for television crews.[11] In addition to Tennessee home games, Lee Stadium has hosted the SEC softball tournament (in 2009 and 2017) and exhibition games involving the US national team (2008) and the Dutch national team (2011, 2012).
Situated next to the stadium, the Volunteers clubhouse is approximately 7,000 square feet (650 m2) and features a team room, whirlpools, training area and conference room. Its other amenities include a kitchen, 30-seat theater, trophy room and a recreation room with a big-screen television, pool table, video games and comfortable furniture for the student-athletes. The locker room is also equipped with full laundry facilities, a mud room, 24 large lockers, shower and bathroom facilities. Also next to the clubhouse is one of the largest batting cage facilities in the nation. It contains four 16-by-60-foot (18 m) cages which are designed to provide plenty of room to walk or film between each. All four cages are covered from the weather and possess high-quality Astroturf.
[11]
In 2011 the field was recognized as the NFCA/Stabilizer Solutions Field of the Year.[12]
In 2017 general admission outfield bleachers were added to the stadium.
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Karen Weekly took over as sole head coach in 2021, having previously served as co-head coach alongside her husband Ralph Weekly since 2002.[13][14]
Since Ralph and Karen Weekly took over the Lady Vols they have guided the program from a team struggling to make a name for themselves in the SEC[by whom? – Discuss] to a team that has garnered world recognition for their success.[by whom? – Discuss] The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has chosen to honor Ralph for his efforts throughout a distinguished, three-decade career, that has spanned from his time in the U.S. Air Force through stops at Pacific Lutheran, Chattanooga and now Tennessee, with a 2011 induction into the NFCA Hall of Fame.
Voted in by his coaching peers and with the organization consisting of just 49 previous inclusions, Ralph Weekly will join Ithaca head coach Deb Pallozzi in ceremonies to be held at the annual NFCA Convention.[when?][citation needed] Ralph and Karen have taken the Vols to their first Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament championships as well as the team's first Women's College World Series appearance.[when?][citation needed]
Their overall record at Tennessee is 465–150–2[when?] and, in 2005, they recorded the programs most wins in a season with 67, an NCAA record at the time..[citation needed] Ralph and Karen have also authored a book, High-Scoring Softball.[15][6]
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