Tennessee Vols morning report: First official sports match of 2021-2022

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 09: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the first half of the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Neyland Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 09: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the first half of the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Neyland Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Given how things went last year, this is a welcome day in the world of sports and the Tennessee Vols. The athletic program’s first official sports of the 2021-2022 academic school year is set to begin, kicking off fall sports.

Our morning update on Rocky Top involves coverage of that match, which is in women’s soccer. That joins volleyball and football as the major fall sports, and all are in the process of getting underway over the next couple of weeks.

Beyond the start of fall sports, though, we have a preview in one of the other ones to cover, which came out Wednesday. Finally, there is some football news. Although the team took a day off after Tuesday’s scrimmage, a former Tennessee Vols football player generated headlines with his new gig, which we’ll get to. Let’s start with our UT soccer coverage.

Women’s soccer opens season vs. Florida Gulf Coast – UTSports

In a return to normalcy after last year’s crazy schedule, the Tennessee Lady Vols soccer team opens the 2021 season Thursday in a home game against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. UT begins the season after going 8-6-1 last year.

"This is the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Both teams enter the season having played one exhibition game. UT battled SEC rival Alabama to a 0-0 draw on Aug. 11, while FGCU tied Miami, 2-2."

Volleyball picked fourth in SEC – SECSports

With the official start of the volleyball season just over a week away, the Tennessee Lady Vols were picked to finish fourth in the SEC Wednesday by the league’s coaches. No UT players earned preseason All-SEC recognition. The LSU Tigers, Florida Gators and Kentucky Wildcats were picked to finish ahead of the Lady Vols.

"The Wildcats, who finished 24-1 overall and 19-1 in the SEC last season, received seven of the 13 first-place votes and 139 points in the preseason poll. Florida received six-first place votes and 138 points to finish second in the poll."

Keller Chryst lands job at Wisconsin – Dan Harralson, VolsWire.com

Former Tennessee Vols football quarterback Keller Chryst, who played one year under Jeremy Pruitt as a graduate transfer from the Stanford Cardinal in 2018, has now joined the Wisconsin Badgers as a graduate assistant. Chryst will work under his uncle, Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst, who is entering his seventh season with the program.

"Chryst transferred to Tennessee from Stanford ahead of the 2018 season. He appeared in eight games for the Vols, completing 23-of-51 passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns."