Courtesy: Tennessee Athletics
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Lady Vols swimming and diving team have been named the 2019-20 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Female Amateur Team of the Year, the organization announced Wednesday.
The 2020 SEC champions will be among those honored at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet August 1 in Nashville.
The Lady Vols had a year to remember as they won their first SEC title in February, capping off an undefeated 8-0 season. The women finished third nationally in the polls and counted five of their eight wins over teams that finished in the CSCAA top 25 – defeating No. 2 Virginia and No. 12 Georgia in head-to-head meetings and at the Tennessee Invitational.
At the SEC Championship meet, the Lady Vols took the championship lead on day two and held onto it for the remaining three days. Tennessee held off a hard-charging Florida Gators squad on the final night to win the SEC title by 29 points – 1,108 for the Lady Vols to second-place Florida’s 1,079.
UT captured 11 medals – eight gold, two silver and one bronze – en route to its championship.
The team of the year award is just the latest honor for the Lady Vols as 15 members of the squad earned CSCAA All-America status with 11 of them being named All-America in multiple events. The women also had 10 members named first and second team All-SEC.
The Lady Vols are the first University of Tennessee team to win amateur team of the year since 2015 when Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese of the men’s tennis program won the award as a doubles pairing.
The women will be joined by fellow Tennessee Vol Trey Smith at the banquet as he will be honored with the TSHF Amateur Male Athlete of the Year award.