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Tennessee Lady Vols are nation’s mentally toughest team

By Caleb Calhoun

Nov 21, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Lady Vols head coach Kellie Harper talks to guard Jordan Horston (25) during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Lady Vols head coach Kellie Harper talks to guard Jordan Horston (25) during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /
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It’s been ugly, the signs can be concerning at times, and nothing has come easy for the Tennessee Lady Vols so far this year. However, they have overcome a slew of injuries, inconsistent play and multiple fourth quarter deficits to get to 4-0 with two wins over top 25 teams, most recently an overtime win over the No. 12 ranked Texas Longhorns.

How many other teams could get to where UT is right now when it loses its best player from the previous year, one of its returning starters just as the season was about to begin and its current best player in the opener? That’s a lot to overcome, but this team has overcome it. In her third year, Kellie Harper is pulling off her best coaching job yet.

The biggest challenge for the Tennessee Lady Vols to start the year was supposed to be replacing Rennia Davis, who led the team in scoring and rebounding. However, another wrench was thrown in the process when returning starter Marta Suárez, who was an All-SEC freshman last year, went down for the year less than two weeks before the opener.

In the opener itself against the Southern Illinois Salukis, this team came under a lot of fire for having to come back to win that game 59-49 after trailing in the fourth quarter. However, overlooked was the timing of Suárez’s injury, the fact that Jordan Horston missed that game due to an injury and then Rae Burrell having to leave early.

Yes, Burrell, the best player after Davis last year, went down with an injury, and she’s been out since then. Horston returned for the UCF Knights, but all of this adversity facing this team was always going to be hard to overcome.

On top of that, this team hasn’t found its rhythm yet. They have shot horrendously from three, their free throw shooting and turnovers continue to be an issue, and they get into foul trouble. Tamari Key, their best interior player, fouled out Sunday

Through it all, they’re 4-0, and it’s because they find ways to win. SIU wasn’t the only game the Tennessee Lady Vols had to come back in. They then had to overcome deficits to beat the No. 23 ranked South Florida Bulls and Texas. Six days after beating USF, in fact, the Lady Vols trailed Texas by 10 with just over six minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Somehow they won.

We can talk about Horston’s clutch gene and aggression. Key’s defensive dominance in the interior deserves a shoutout. Jordan Walker has stepped up when necessary. The fact is, doing all of this without Burrell and the lesser issues we mentioned facing the program is insane.

Given what UT has faced, it’s safe to say they are the mentally toughest team in the nation by far. They could have easily thrown in the towel and made excuses for a slow start, especially when they fell behind. After all, Burrell is expected back, so they could have made the case that they’ll be fine once Burrell returns.

Instead, though, the Tennessee Lady Vols have ignored every bad break and overcome them. It’s early, but this start to the season says a lot about the character of this team, and if they beat the Kansas Jayhawks and Oklahoma State Cowgirls in the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas, Nev. this week, they’ll have a top five case when Burrell returns.