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Where Tennessee baseball’s 2022 season ranks among all-time Vols choke jobs

By Caleb Calhoun

The Tennessee dugout after their loss to Notre Dame in the NCAA baseball Super Regional championship game in Knoxville, Tenn. on Sunday, June 12, 2022.Kns Ut Baseball Notre Dame
The Tennessee dugout after their loss to Notre Dame in the NCAA baseball Super Regional championship game in Knoxville, Tenn. on Sunday, June 12, 2022.Kns Ut Baseball Notre Dame /
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–-DD 032299 A Tennessee Spts—L to R, Chamique Holdsclaw, Mickey DeMoss, Kellie Jolly, Holly Warlick and Tennessee coach Pat Summitt watch the last seconds of the game as Tennessee lost to Duke in NCAA reginals in Greensboro NC. Staff Delores DelvinChamique Holdsclaw, Mickey DeMoss, Kellie Jolly, Holly Warlick and Tennessee coach Pat Summitt watch the last seconds of the game as Tennessee lost to Duke in NCAA regionals in Greensboro N.C.Tennessee Vs Duke In Ncaa Tournament
–-DD 032299 A Tennessee Spts—L to R, Chamique Holdsclaw, Mickey DeMoss, Kellie Jolly, Holly Warlick and Tennessee coach Pat Summitt watch the last seconds of the game as Tennessee lost to Duke in NCAA reginals in Greensboro NC. Staff Delores DelvinChamique Holdsclaw, Mickey DeMoss, Kellie Jolly, Holly Warlick and Tennessee coach Pat Summitt watch the last seconds of the game as Tennessee lost to Duke in NCAA regionals in Greensboro N.C.Tennessee Vs Duke In Ncaa Tournament /

5. 1998-1999 Tennessee women’s basketball

There was no excuse for this one. The Tennessee Lady Vols were on the heels of three straight national championships. They had gone 39-0 the year before with what remains the greatest team in history, led by Chamique Holdsclaw, the superstar, current UT head coach Kellie Harper (then Jolly), the glue player, and the two freshman stars, Semeka Randall and Tamika Catchings.

All of those players were back, and there was no reason they shouldn’t repeat. Although they lost on the road to Purdue and the LSU Tigers, they won the SEC Regular Season and Tournament Championship again and entered the NCAA Tournament as the overwhelming favorites to win a fourth straight national title.

After winning their first three games all by at least 16 points, they reached the Elite Eight, and out of the blue, they couldn’t buy a bucket against the No. 3 seed Duke Blue Devils. Holdsclaw, who had never not won a title in college, had her worst game shooting from the floor.

As a result, Duke pulled off a shocking 69-63 upset. Similar to Tennessee baseball, this team won everything in the regular season and was the favorite in the tournament. Unlike Tennessee baseball, they made it to the final eight teams, but a dynasty that should’ve lasted one more year ended prematurely.

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