TENNESSEE

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Tennessee is making their 16th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and their first since 2018. UT has the third most appearances by an SEC school.

The Lady Vols made their debut in the very first NCAA Tournament held in 1981. They made their deepest run in 2005, making it all the way to the Final Four.

The team is 14-15 all-time in the Tournament, 10-5 in first round matches, 3-4 in first round road matches, and 2-2 in first round road matches where they don’t face the host team. They’ve won 4 of their last 5 first round matches.

In 4 of their last 6 postseasons, UT was knocked out in a match that went to five sets.

The Lady Vols head to Ohio for this Tourney match. This will be their first trip to that state for the post-season since 1973, when the team made it all the way to the AIAW national championship tournament after posting a 36-3 record. UT went 2-3 in Wooster, losing in their final pool play match to defending and eventual national champion Long Beach State.

UT has never faced UNC or Howard in the NCAA Tournament. The team has played Ohio State there twice. They lost to the Buckeyes in 2004 in the Sweet Sixteen, and they lost to OSU in 2011 in the second round. Both matches went to five sets with the last being decided by a score of 15-12.

Eve Rackham Watt has a lot of experience with UNC in the Tournament, but usually while wearing Carolina Blue! This will be her 14th total appearance: twice as a head coach (Tennessee 2018, 2021), eight times as an assistant coach (Florida International 2008; North Carolina: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), and four times as a player (North Carolina: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002).

Tennessee played 9 teams this year that made the NCAA Tournament — including 5 seeded teams. In those matches they went 5-6.

After starting the season 16-3, the Lady Vols enter the Tournament having lost 6 of their last 9 matches.

The team has swept 50% of their matches this season. UT was 14-3 in three-set matches, 3-2 in four set matches, and 2-4 in five-set matches.

Tennessee went 7-6 in road matches this year.

Against ranked competition, Tennessee only went 1-4. However, four of those matches were against teams ranked in the top ten. Their win was vs then #9 in the polls and current #5 seed Baylor.

Against the field Tennessee is:
— 9-4 vs North Carolina (last match: 3-2 loss in 2009)
— 1-9 vs Ohio State (last match: 3-1 win in 2018)
— 0-0 vs Howard (would be first meeting)

In the rally-scoring era Tennessee is:
— 17-8 vs Mountain West Conference teams.
— 8-18 vs Big Ten teams.
— 3-0 vs Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams.

NORTH CAROLINA

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North Carolina is making their 19th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and their first since 2016.

The Tarheels made their first NCAA Tournament in 1982. Their deepest run has been to the Elite Eight in 2014.

UNC is 15-18 in Tournament matches, and 11-7 in first round matches.

North Carolina is facing an SEC team in the Tournament for the 5th time, having gone 3-1 in those matches.

Carolina is 21-8 this season. They’re 11-3 in road matches.

The team has swept 41% of their matches in 2021. They’re 12-3 in three set matches, 5-4 in four sets, and 4-1 in five sets.

The Tarheels finished 6th in the ACC with a 10-8 record.

After starting the season 17-4, UNC lost 4 of their last 8 games.

Tennessee and Carolina have two common opponents this season. Both teams defeated North Carolina State, with UT sweeping and UNC winning in four. And both teams lost to Pitt, with UT taking them to five and UNC falling in four.

North Carolina went 0-3 vs ranked teams: a 3-1 loss to #4 Pitt, a 3-0 loss to #14 Georgia Tech, and a 3-1 loss to #2 Louisville.

Against other members of the subregional field, the Tarheels are 1-2 vs Ohio State all-time and have never faced Howard.

OHIO STATE

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Ohio State is making their 24th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and their second in the last five years, having made the field in 2020.

The Buckeyes made their first NCAA Tournament in 1989. Their deepest run has been to the Final Four, which they’ve done twice (1991 and 1994).

OSU is 36-23 in Tournament matches, and 21-2 in their first matches.

Ohio State has faced an SEC team in the Tournament 7 times, and went 3-4 in those matches.

State is 25-5 this season. They’re 12-1 in home matches.

The team has swept 57% of their matches in 2021. They’re 17-1 in three set matches, 7-3 in four sets, and 1-1 in five sets.

The Buckeyes finished 3rd in the Big Ten with a 15-5 record.

OSU won 9 of their last 10 games, including the final 7 in a row.

Tennessee and Ohio State have two common opponents this season. Both teams defeated Texas Tech in three. And both teams played Purdue, with UT losing in five, and OSU splitting a pair of matches with a 3-2 loss and a 3-1 win.

Ohio State went 5-5 vs ranked teams: defeating #4 Washington, #6 Purdue, #9 Nebraska, #15 Penn State, and #25 Illinois; and losing to #3 Wisconsin, #7 Purdue, #11 Minnesota, #12 Minnesota, and #20 Penn State.

Against other members of the subregional field, the Buckeyes are 2-1 vs North Carolina all-time and have never faced Howard.

Three Ohio State coaches have played against Tennessee during their collegiate careers:

• Head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg played for the Buckeyes from 1996 to 1999. Her team defeated the Lady Vols 3-0 in a September 1997 match played at Nebraska. Flynn earned a double-double in the match with 36 assists and 11 digs.

• Assistant coach Jill Wilson was a player at LSU during the late 1990s. She went on to become an assistant coach at fellow subregional field-mate North Carolina during the 2000s.

• Assistant coach Nicole Fawcett played against Tennessee in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, in a Sweet Sixteen matchup. The Lady Vols upset the homestanding Penn State team on their way to a Final Four.

HOWARD

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Howard is making their 6th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The Bison made their first NCAA Tournament in 2015, and have made everyone since except for the abbreviated 2020 COVID Tournament.

HU is 0-5 in Tournament matches.

Howard is 18-12 this season. They’re 9-8 in road matches.

The team has swept 30% of their matches in 2021. They’re 9-5 in three set matches, 9-4 in four sets, and 0-3 in five sets.

The Bison won the MEAC with a 12-2 record, then secured the automatic bid by winning the conference tournament.

After starting the season 3-10, HU won 15 of their last 17 matches.

Howard went 0-1 vs ranked teams: falling to #13 Oregon.

The Bison have never played any other members of the subregional field.

HU assistant coach Sareea Freeman faced off against the Lady Vols twice during her playing career at Florida State, going 1-1.