Another season has come and gone. Going into 2013, we knew this would be a rebuilding year. It’s not often a team goes through what Tennessee did in the offseason. The fact that the coaches were able to put together a team — and that the players were able to come together as a team — in such a short amount of time is an achievement unto itself.

Since the late 1990s, losing has not been part of Lady Vol volleyball’s vocabulary. Since coach Rob Patrick took over in 1997, this is just the third losing season the team has faced. And after each of those years, the team was able to rebuild and come back stronger.

His first squad, injury-laden and adjusting to a new system, went 15-19. But Tennessee wouldn’t have another losing season for a decade. The team won 19 matches in each of the next two seasons. And in 2000, the freshmen on that 1997 team would be the first seniors to make it to the NCAA Tournament since 1993.

In 2007, after graduating just about everyone from the most successful class at UT to date, the team went 11-18. But in the next five seasons the Lady Vols: never lost more than 10 games in a year, got a school first five consecutive NCAA Tournament bids, and won the SEC Championship.

So while a losing season is not fun, sometimes it’s just the first part of building up something great.

As usual things will wind down here. There are awards still to be passed out. I have a back log of pictures to post. Updates on recruits and their high school seasons will be coming later this month. Thanks to Ellen Mullins, there are a lot of record book updates to make! And a final rundown of the season numbers needs to be made. So be sure to check by every once in awhile for that. After the new year updates will come once every month or two or as needed if something happens.

Thanks to all of the fans who make doing this website worth while. Thanks to all the families who share their children with us here in Knoxville. Thanks to the staff at UT for all they do in what I know must have been a rough, stressful, and extremely busy year. And thanks to all the players for the time, energy, and effort they give. Newcomers and old-timers alike were put in a less than ideal situation this season, and they way you all handled it makes us all the more proud of you.