Tennessee Softball Inks Six for Class of 2025, Ranked No. 2 Class in the Nation
Courtesy / UT Athletics

Tennessee Softball Inks Six for Class of 2025, Ranked No. 2 Class in the Nation

Posted on November 14, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly has announced six signees for the program’s 2025 recruiting class. The newest Lady Vols include Meredith Barnhart, Peyton Hardenburger, Taelyn Holley, Elsa Morrison, Kailey Plumlee and McCall Sims.

Rated as the No. 2 class in the nation by On3, four players are featured in the top 25 player rankings for the class of 2025. Hardenburger and Holley come in at fourth and seventh, respectively, while Morrison and Plumlee rank 11th and 22nd.

According to On3, Hardenburger (Kansas) and Morrison (Tennessee) are the top-ranked players in their respective states. Holley is the second-ranked player out of California, with Plumlee listed as the No. 2 prospect in the Volunteer State.

Sims is ranked 54th nationally and is the fifth-ranked player coming out of Tennessee.

“I could not be more thrilled to welcome this group of young women into the Lady Vols softball family,” Weekly said. “This is certainly one of the best classes we have ever signed at Tennessee. They are highly skilled and ultra-competitive on the field. More importantly, they possess incredible leadership skills and a determination to be champions in the classroom and the community. This class is a perfect fit for our culture of excellence. I am confident they will be a cornerstone of our success for the next four years and impact Lady Vol softball well beyond their time on campus.”

A detailed listing of Tennessee’s 2025 signees, including high school, travel ball honors and notable achievements, can be viewed below. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee softball, follow @Vol_Softball on X and Instagram.

Meredith Barnhart
Parker, Colo.
Lutheran High School
INF / 5-8 / L/R

  • Colorado 4A Player of the Year – 2024
  • Four-time state champion – 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
  • Four-time First Team All-State
  • Holds a high school batting average of .537 with a 1.077 slugging percentage and a 1.658 OPS
  • PGF Nationals 16u Runner Up – 2023
  • Triple Crown ESPN Future Star (2025) – 2024

Why Tennessee: “I chose to attend Tennessee because it feels like home to me. The atmosphere around athletics is unmatched. It makes me want to work harder and perform better. Playing for proven, trusted coaches in the SEC is an incredible opportunity. Additionally, the people of Knoxville have great hospitality and the liveliness within the town feels so inviting. It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol.”

Peyton Hardenburger
Wamego, Kan.
Wamego High School
P / 5-7 / R/R

  • On3 No. 4 ranked player in the nation, No. 2 ranked pitcher in the 2025 class and No. 1 player from Kansas
  • Holds a career record of 35-1 with 13 no-hitters and 652 strikeouts
  • Won the 2023 and 2024 Kansas 4A State Championship
  • Named the 2024 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year
  • Named First Team All-State on three occasions
  • Is a three-time 4A Kansas Pitcher of the Year

Why Tennessee: “The family atmosphere that Tennessee presented was unmatched. I fell in love with the culture, athletic and academic opportunities they have for their student-athletes. Some SEC schools l visited felt like football reigned over everyone. At Tennessee, it really felt like an everything school which l loved.”

Taelyn Holley
Murrieta, Calif.
Murrieta Mesa
OF / 5-6 / L/R

  • On3 No. 7 ranked player in the nation, No. 2 ranked outfielder in the class and No. 2 player from California
  • California State Junior Player of the Year
  • A four-time Southwestern League Champion
  • Southwest League MVP
  • Holds Murrieta Mesa records for: Runs scored in a season (59), runs scored in a career (145), highest single-season batting average (.598)
  • TCS National Champions 16U & 18U and PGF Nationals-2nd place 18U

Why Tennessee: “I want to continue the Lady Vol legacy. It also felt like home the minute I stepped on campus.”

Elsa Morrison
Knoxville, Tenn.
Farragut High School
C / 5-11 / R/R

  • On3 No. 11 ranked player in the nation, No. 2 ranked catcher and No. 1 player from Tennessee
  • 2023 Tennessee Softball Gatorade Player of the Year, East Tennessee Miss Softball and 5-Star Preps Player of the Year
  • Two-time First Team All-District and District Player of the Year for 2023
  • 2024 Alliance Tier 1-18u National Champion (Texas Bombers Gold)
  • 2024 Alliance National Championship All-Tournament team
  • 2023 Colorado Sparkler 18u Player of the Tournament and 2024 Colorado IDT 18u Offensive Player of the Tournament

Why Tennessee: “The first thing that led me to my decision on where to attend school was based on academics. In college, I plan on studying engineering, and the Tickle School of Engineering has a good industrial program that I would like to focus on. The second thing that brought me to Knoxville is Coach Karen Weekly and the university’s legacy in growing female athletes. Knoxville is home to me, and I couldn’t be more excited to get a chance to compete for a national championship!”

Kailey Plumlee
Carthage, Tenn.
Gordonsville High School
P / 5-10 / L/L

  • On3 No. 22 ranked player in the nation, No. 9 ranked pitcher and No. 2 player from Tennessee
  • 2024 Tennessee Softball Gatorade Player of the Year
  • 2024 MaxPreps All-America Team
  • Two-time 1A State Champion (2023 and 2024)
  • Began pitching varsity as an eighth grader in 2021, leading the state in strikeouts with 313
  • High school career numbers (2021-2024): Batting – BA- 0.524 avg, OBP- 0.611, H-212, HR-42, RBI- 226, R-112, BB-85 // Pitching – IP-585.2, BF-2473, H-180, R-194, SO-1372, ERA- 1.45, BAA- 0.092

Why Tennessee: “I chose the University of Tennessee for many reasons. The first is that they are family-oriented. My family is the most important thing to me other than my faith. The second reason I chose UT is because it felt like home, I felt safe and supported by all the staff, coaches and future teammates. And last but definitely not least is my faith. The coaches and players encourage each other to prioritize their faith. With God all things are possible! He is the one person that will always be there and has always been there so keeping my faith a priority is really big for me.”

McCall Sims
Martin, Tenn.
Westview High School
OF / 5-6 / R/R

  • On3 No. 54 ranked player in the nation, No. 23 ranked outfielder and No. 5 player from Tennessee
  • 2023 Division 1 2A State Champion
  • 2024 2A Tennessee Miss Softball
  • Three-time all-district and two-time all-state
  • A two-time PGF National Champion as well as a Triple Crown National Champion
  • Slashed .470/.530/.775 as a freshman, .458/.485/.992 her sophomore year before slashing .667/.762/1.429 last year as a junior. Has hit 31 home runs in three seasons with 131 RBIs

Why Tennessee: “I chose the University of Tennessee because it just felt like home and I love the home, family-like feel and the atmosphere surrounding all sports. It is like no other and it’s always been my dream to play softball here at Tennessee.”

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Tennessee Softball Inks Six for Class of 2025, Ranked No. 2 Class in the Nation
Courtesy / UT Athletics

Tennessee Softball Inks Six for Class of 2025, Ranked No. 2 Class in the Nation

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly has announced six signees for the program’s 2025 recruiting class. The newest Lady Vols include Meredith Barnhart, Peyton Hardenburger, Taelyn Holley, Elsa Morrison, Kailey Plumlee and McCall Sims.

Rated as the No. 2 class in the nation by On3, four players are featured in the top 25 player rankings for the class of 2025. Hardenburger and Holley come in at fourth and seventh, respectively, while Morrison and Plumlee rank 11th and 22nd.

According to On3, Hardenburger (Kansas) and Morrison (Tennessee) are the top-ranked players in their respective states. Holley is the second-ranked player out of California, with Plumlee listed as the No. 2 prospect in the Volunteer State.

Sims is ranked 54th nationally and is the fifth-ranked player coming out of Tennessee.

“I could not be more thrilled to welcome this group of young women into the Lady Vols softball family,” Weekly said. “This is certainly one of the best classes we have ever signed at Tennessee. They are highly skilled and ultra-competitive on the field. More importantly, they possess incredible leadership skills and a determination to be champions in the classroom and the community. This class is a perfect fit for our culture of excellence. I am confident they will be a cornerstone of our success for the next four years and impact Lady Vol softball well beyond their time on campus.”

A detailed listing of Tennessee’s 2025 signees, including high school, travel ball honors and notable achievements, can be viewed below. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee softball, follow @Vol_Softball on X and Instagram.

Meredith Barnhart
Parker, Colo.
Lutheran High School
INF / 5-8 / L/R

  • Colorado 4A Player of the Year – 2024
  • Four-time state champion – 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
  • Four-time First Team All-State
  • Holds a high school batting average of .537 with a 1.077 slugging percentage and a 1.658 OPS
  • PGF Nationals 16u Runner Up – 2023
  • Triple Crown ESPN Future Star (2025) – 2024

Why Tennessee: “I chose to attend Tennessee because it feels like home to me. The atmosphere around athletics is unmatched. It makes me want to work harder and perform better. Playing for proven, trusted coaches in the SEC is an incredible opportunity. Additionally, the people of Knoxville have great hospitality and the liveliness within the town feels so inviting. It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol.”

Peyton Hardenburger
Wamego, Kan.
Wamego High School
P / 5-7 / R/R

  • On3 No. 4 ranked player in the nation, No. 2 ranked pitcher in the 2025 class and No. 1 player from Kansas
  • Holds a career record of 35-1 with 13 no-hitters and 652 strikeouts
  • Won the 2023 and 2024 Kansas 4A State Championship
  • Named the 2024 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year
  • Named First Team All-State on three occasions
  • Is a three-time 4A Kansas Pitcher of the Year

Why Tennessee: “The family atmosphere that Tennessee presented was unmatched. I fell in love with the culture, athletic and academic opportunities they have for their student-athletes. Some SEC schools l visited felt like football reigned over everyone. At Tennessee, it really felt like an everything school which l loved.”

Taelyn Holley
Murrieta, Calif.
Murrieta Mesa
OF / 5-6 / L/R

  • On3 No. 7 ranked player in the nation, No. 2 ranked outfielder in the class and No. 2 player from California
  • California State Junior Player of the Year
  • A four-time Southwestern League Champion
  • Southwest League MVP
  • Holds Murrieta Mesa records for: Runs scored in a season (59), runs scored in a career (145), highest single-season batting average (.598)
  • TCS National Champions 16U & 18U and PGF Nationals-2nd place 18U

Why Tennessee: “I want to continue the Lady Vol legacy. It also felt like home the minute I stepped on campus.”

Elsa Morrison
Knoxville, Tenn.
Farragut High School
C / 5-11 / R/R

  • On3 No. 11 ranked player in the nation, No. 2 ranked catcher and No. 1 player from Tennessee
  • 2023 Tennessee Softball Gatorade Player of the Year, East Tennessee Miss Softball and 5-Star Preps Player of the Year
  • Two-time First Team All-District and District Player of the Year for 2023
  • 2024 Alliance Tier 1-18u National Champion (Texas Bombers Gold)
  • 2024 Alliance National Championship All-Tournament team
  • 2023 Colorado Sparkler 18u Player of the Tournament and 2024 Colorado IDT 18u Offensive Player of the Tournament

Why Tennessee: “The first thing that led me to my decision on where to attend school was based on academics. In college, I plan on studying engineering, and the Tickle School of Engineering has a good industrial program that I would like to focus on. The second thing that brought me to Knoxville is Coach Karen Weekly and the university’s legacy in growing female athletes. Knoxville is home to me, and I couldn’t be more excited to get a chance to compete for a national championship!”

Kailey Plumlee
Carthage, Tenn.
Gordonsville High School
P / 5-10 / L/L

  • On3 No. 22 ranked player in the nation, No. 9 ranked pitcher and No. 2 player from Tennessee
  • 2024 Tennessee Softball Gatorade Player of the Year
  • 2024 MaxPreps All-America Team
  • Two-time 1A State Champion (2023 and 2024)
  • Began pitching varsity as an eighth grader in 2021, leading the state in strikeouts with 313
  • High school career numbers (2021-2024): Batting – BA- 0.524 avg, OBP- 0.611, H-212, HR-42, RBI- 226, R-112, BB-85 // Pitching – IP-585.2, BF-2473, H-180, R-194, SO-1372, ERA- 1.45, BAA- 0.092

Why Tennessee: “I chose the University of Tennessee for many reasons. The first is that they are family-oriented. My family is the most important thing to me other than my faith. The second reason I chose UT is because it felt like home, I felt safe and supported by all the staff, coaches and future teammates. And last but definitely not least is my faith. The coaches and players encourage each other to prioritize their faith. With God all things are possible! He is the one person that will always be there and has always been there so keeping my faith a priority is really big for me.”

McCall Sims
Martin, Tenn.
Westview High School
OF / 5-6 / R/R

  • On3 No. 54 ranked player in the nation, No. 23 ranked outfielder and No. 5 player from Tennessee
  • 2023 Division 1 2A State Champion
  • 2024 2A Tennessee Miss Softball
  • Three-time all-district and two-time all-state
  • A two-time PGF National Champion as well as a Triple Crown National Champion
  • Slashed .470/.530/.775 as a freshman, .458/.485/.992 her sophomore year before slashing .667/.762/1.429 last year as a junior. Has hit 31 home runs in three seasons with 131 RBIs

Why Tennessee: “I chose the University of Tennessee because it just felt like home and I love the home, family-like feel and the atmosphere surrounding all sports. It is like no other and it’s always been my dream to play softball here at Tennessee.”