BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Tennessee softball was projected to finish fourth on the SEC preseason poll for the 2021 softball season based on the votes of the 13 SEC head coaches, announced by the conference on Thursday.
The Lady Vols, who were ranked 23rd on the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll earlier in the week, received one first-place vote and finished behind No. 8 Alabama, which is projected to win the conference, No. 5 LSU, and No. 6 Florida. In total, Tennessee garnered 129 points on the poll.
The Orange and White is poised for a competitive 2021 with the return of junior ace Ashley Rogers who was temporarily sidelined during the 2020 season due to an injury. Rogers was scheduled to return for the Lady Vols SEC opener March 13, before the season was halted the day before and ultimately canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
UT will also get a jolt from junior catcher Ally Shipman who returned in 2020 from a season-ending injury sustained midway through the 2019 season. Shipman co-led UT last year with a .403 hitting clip, 25 hits and seven doubles, alongside middle infielder and redshirt senior Chelsea Seggern, who opted to return for 2021 with the extra year granted by the NCAA.
The Lady Vols open the 2021 season on February 12 in Conway, S.C., at 10 a.m. ET in a first-ever matchup with UConn. UT will also face host-team Coastal Carolina and Akron in the three-day tournament. Official SEC play begins at home against LSU on March 12, but the Lady Vols will see Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, as a nonconference opponent the weekend of March 5.
2021 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
Place School Points
1. Alabama (9) 138
2. LSU (2) 129
3. Florida (1) 125
4. Tennessee (1) 101
5. Kentucky 97
6. Arkansas 81
7. Georgia 78
8. Missouri 70
9. South Carolina 68
10. Mississippi State43
11. Auburn 39
12. Texas A&M 30
13. Ole Miss 15
-UT Athletics
