Tennessee

How Tennessee softball benefited from star Kiki Milloy’s ‘reset’ in history-making SEC season

Published

2 years ago

May 4, 2024

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How Tennessee softball benefited from star Kiki Milloy’s ‘reset’ in history-making SEC season

Karen Weekly could only describe it as “euphoria.”

The Tennessee softball coach watched her team dash around Sherri Lee Parker Stadium. Weekly did the “griddy,” the dance her players taught her for moments like these. Mid-interview, she was kissed by two of her players not too long after she was doused with Gatorade while beaming alongside her Lady Vols family.

This unbridled happiness could be spawned only by making history.

No. 3 Tennessee won back-to-back SEC regular-season championships for the first time in program history, beating No. 24 Kentucky 8-3 on Friday to clinch the series win.

“It feels absolutely amazing,” Weekly said. “I’m just so happy for them because they’re the ones that have to go out there . . . to find a way and get this done. I’m just overjoyed for them.

“I told them, ‘You’re back-to-back regular-season champions in the toughest conference in America, that’s something to be super proud of.’”

UT (39-9, 18-5) clinched the regular-season title outright after Texas A&M dropped its series opener Friday. Kentucky is 30-20, 8-15.

In the Lady Vols’ win, Kiki Milloy had a home run and team-high three RBIs, and Karlyn Pickens arrived in relief as she struck out five and allowed no hits or runs in four innings. This is the sophomore’s 18th win of the season.

How a ‘reset’ helped Kiki Milloy

Milloy, a graduate outfielder, had a magical senior season last year. She hit .406 and set three Tennessee single-season records with 25 homers, 86 runs scored and a .929 slugging percentage.

This season has been more up-and-down; she is hitting .362 and has 11 home runs. It didn’t help that she missed a series against Georgia after she rolled her ankle. She has remained a steadying presence as a leader, but it’s understood that her play is essential for Tennessee to excel in the playoffs.

“You learn about people when things don’t go perfect,” Weekly said. “That’s the real measure of who you are as a competitor and really who you are as a human being.”

No one at Tennessee is surprised to learn Milloy perseveres. After trailing 3-2 after three innings, Milloy drilled a three-run homer, her 11th of the season, to deep center field, which helped the Lady Vols regain control of the game and galvanize the team and the fans.

“She had her struggles this year but what a champion,” Weekly said. “Things weren’t easy but she just dug in . . . now she’s getting her stroke back. Boy, we need it and that was a huge dagger.”

“Kiki plays a huge role for our team,” Pickens said. “Always just getting the momentum going and she always steps up in big situations like that.”

Milloy said that a major reason she was able to have her first home run since April 23 and second three-RBI game of the year is because of her injury, which she described as a “blessing in disguise.”

“It was a good reset for me because at that point in the season, I wasn’t really playing the way I wanted to play,” she said.

She never would wish to be sidelined, she said, but not playing helped her be more mentally secure.

“Taking that time to step back and reevaluate and kind of realize this is my last season, I don’t need to put as much pressure on myself,” she said. “I think that just really helps.”

Toyloy Brown III is a Knox News sports reporter. Email toyloy.brown@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly Twitter, @TJ3rd_.

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Tennessee

Tennessee Football Wide Receivers Make History Against Florida

Published

18 hours ago

November 25, 2025

Press Room

Tennessee Football Wide Receivers Make History Against Florida

Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope during the first day of Tennessee football practice at Anderson Training Facility in Knoxville, Tenn. on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022.
Kns Tennessee Football Practice / Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Tennessee

Traveling Seahawks Fans Provide ‘Incredible Atmosphere’ In Tennessee

Published

1 day ago

November 24, 2025

Press Room

Traveling Seahawks Fans Provide ‘Incredible Atmosphere’ In Tennessee

It’s not unheard of for Seahawks fans to make their presence known on the road, particularly if their team is closing out a victory in the final minutes and the home fans have begun making their exit.

Hearing loud “SEA-HAWKS!” chants throughout the stadium in the first quarter of a road game, however, is unusual. But that was the case in Sunday’s win over the Titans, with Seahawks fans often overpowering the home crowd at Nissan Stadium.

Seahawks fans were also out and about in downtown Nashville throughout the weekend, with it being a common occurrence to hear one fan offer a “Go Hawks!” to another passing fan in Seahawks gear while walking down Nashville’s famed Broadway Street.

“I just wanted to shout out our 12s,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Monday. “Man, it was an incredible atmosphere. I have some friends that live in Nashville that were telling me that the downtown scene was just filled with Seahawks fans everywhere. People flying in, all the planes were filled with Hawks fans. I tell you what, there were some great moments throughout that game where you could feel the energy generated from the 12s on our sideline. I know our guys really appreciate it, and I just want to say thank you for making the effort and all the enthusiasm. It was really a sight to see. It’s something that’s pretty rare. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my career, just that amount of fans on a road trip. So, thank you.”

Players felt the fans’ presence in the game as well, with linebacker Drake Thomas saying, “It was awesome. It was like a home game.”

The Seahawks have become one of the league’s best road teams in recent years, winning 12 of 14 road games under Mike Macdonald dating back to last season, and while there are a lot of factors behind that that have to do with how the team travels and prepares for road games, having a fan presence in those games also gives players a boost. And never was that more true than on Sunday when Seahawks fans took over Nashville.

“That was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen, them traveling from all over,” Macdonald said Monday morning during his weekly appearance on Seattle Sports 710AM. “…I’ve never heard anything like that before, and they were incredible yesterday, just came out in waves.”

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Tennessee Football LB Arion Carter Speaks on Win Over Florida

Published

2 days ago

November 24, 2025

Press Room

Tennessee Football LB Arion Carter Speaks on Win Over Florida

The Tennessee Volunteers went to The Swamp as a 7-3, 3-3 prepared to battle with the Florida Gators.

After a 60-minute contest, the Vols would leave Ben Hill Griffin Stadium victorious, moving the season records to 8-3, 4-3.

This win does a lot for the overall program. Despite any narratives that may be spun, if anything this game helps remove the mental block for the Volunteers program.

This was the first Tennessee win in Gainesville since 2003.

Using 2003 as the measuring stick so to speak, the Vols are 6-17 against Florida and that is with counting 2003.

Surreal Halftime Score

“Uh, I would say no, just because of the work that we put in and we, um, we’re looking, going forward into this game about um, going in and just simply doing our job, playing fast and playing collective football. Offense, defense, and special teams, so, you know, going into halftime it really wasn’t a surprise to us. It was now, you know, um, don’t let up. Put on more steam and you got to go and attack this second half like no other, so we can go finish,” Carter detailed.

Junior linebacker Arion Carter is familiar with just how important this game is, as the defender is an in-state product. Growing up in Tennessee, it doesn’t take long to realize the hatred between the two.

Carter would take questions after the long-awaited win.

Impact of Win as an In-State Kid

“Yeah, you know, um just being here over the few years, um just being around it, being in the game and just seeing the atmosphere, being at home and being away. Second time being here (Florida), just the fans and it just means more, you know. Being in the SEC and in these two big SEC rivalry schools, you know, two blue bloods as you would call them. Just seeing that the history of what happened prior, you know, going into this game, it gave us a little bit more of an edge, you know, to go out there and prove we can change history,” Carter said.

Click HERE to watch and listen to everything that linebacker Arion Carter had to say after beating Florida in The Swamp.