Karen Weekly on impact of Tennessee softball's WCWS trip and her transfer portal search

Tennessee softball reached heights it hadn't seen in years this season.

The Lady Vols (51-10) swept the SEC titles and made a run all the way to the Women's College World Series semifinals. It was one of the most successful seasons in program history, even though this team didn't win Tennessee's first national title in softball.

Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said this team made her fall in love with coaching all over again.

"Not that I was out of love with it, but they just made me appreciate it even more," Weekly told Knox News. "They made me appreciate the relationships, appreciate those special, special seasons you have like this one."

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How trip to WCWS can impact future seasons

The Lady Vols ended the longest drought between WCWS appearances since Tennessee first went to Oklahoma City in 2005. UT's longest gap in appearances was from 2007 to 2010 before the hiatus from 2015 to 2023.

Weekly led the program with her husband, Ralph, for all seven of the Lady Vols' previous WCWS appearances, and she knows the effect a trip to Oklahoma City can have on a program.

She remembers a hunger in her players after Tennessee went to the 2005 WCWS. The Lady Vols had a taste of making the trip – they were determined to win it the next time. In 2007, Tennessee made it to the WCWS final. The next string of trips in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015 was started by a young team that Weekly was reminded of this season.

"In '10, we had a really young team that really had no idea they were supposed to be nervous," Weekly said. "They were just like, 'Yeah, we're just playing. We're having a good time, and we're enjoying each other.' And I honestly feel like this team was somewhat similar to that team in the way they played."

Weekly believes this season can be a catalyst for future success, as it has in the past. But at the same time, she understands that nothing is a given.

She learned in other seasons that returning the majority of her roster – like she will next season – doesn't guarantee the same success. In some ways, Weekly will have to pay even more attention to the culture and work ethic of her team.

"That's a dangerous pit to fall in," Weekly said. "You've got to be careful that you don't become complacent."

But Weekly also wants her to team carry the same mindset of playing freely into the next season and maintain the culture they had this year. She doesn't want her team to play uptight because now they feel like there's an expectation.

"We don't play next year to defend an SEC championship, or defend a regional championship, or defend a Super Regional Championship," Weekly said. "We play with the same passion and joy and freedom that we played this year with."

Who Tennessee is losing and what Weekly is recruiting in the transfer portal

Tennessee returns all of its starters except senior pitcher Ashley Rogers. The only other player out of eligibility is Shakara Goodloe, who was used mainly in a pinch-running situations.

Weekly doesn't anticipate losing impact players to the transfer portal after conducting exit meetings this week. She doesn't expect to keep every player, but she's confident in the core returning.

As far as what she's looking for in the transfer portal, Weekly said you can never have enough pitching depth.

Weekly also is looking to add is another catcher. She said she worried all season about Giulia Koutsoyanopolus getting injured and not having a backup catcher to replace her. Koutsoyanopolus transferred to Tennessee last summer from Arizona and played at catcher for the first time in her career this season.

"Pitchers are always hot commodities in the portal, and we're going to look at pitchers just like everybody else is," Weekly said. "If we can swing it, if it's a good fit, all the different things that go into it, I would love to strengthen both of those areas, make sure we have the depth we need."

Tennessee has three incoming freshmen in a highly touted recruiting class. Bella Faw, a shortstop from Sugar Hill, Georgia, is ranked No. 5 in the 2023 class by Extra Innings Softball. Alannah and Gabby Leach round out the class. They are the younger twin sisters of former Lady Vols Aubrey Leach and Kelcy Leach.

The twin outfielders from The Woodlands, Texas, are both ranked as the No. 12 prospects in the class.

Tennessee will also get Taylor Pannell back in action. The freshman infielder started seven games before she suffered a season-ending shoulder injury to her non-throwing arm.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee softball: Karen Weekly on WCWS trip, transfer portal search