The Tennessee women's basketball team was training Monday afternoon when Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick learned that NCAA tournament support was out and the UT had been on the field.

Warlick was expecting her team to get a global offer even though Tennessee (19-12) was down to the bull's eye, but she knew the selection was not to be broadcast until tonight.

"Someone said the support was out, and I thought," It's not possible, "Warlick said Monday night during an interview on the radio show" Vol Calls. "

Automatic reading

Thumbnails poster

Show captions

Last slide next

The Lady Flights continued to never miss an NCAA tournament.

This offer fell over. Tennessee were among the last four teams admitted to the 64 group.

The Lady Vols won eleventh place and will play UCLA (20-12), ranked sixth, on Saturday (1 pm (ET), ESPN2) in a quadrant organized by Maryland, seeded third. The Terrapins will face Radford in the first round.

This marks UT's 38th bid for the NCAA.

The parenthesis was to be revealed during a selection show on ESPN at 19 hours. AND. However, the network erroneously posted the matches when programming on ESPNU on Monday afternoon. BlueStar Media, a website dedicated to women's basketball, first reported on the leak, and the stand started to go around.

ESPN2 then officially revealed the support during an impromptu broadcast broadcast two hours before the originally scheduled broadcast.

"I guess there will be an opening at ESPN," Warlick said during his radio appearance, "because someone is not very happy about the leak."

Thank you! You are almost registered for

Keep an eye on an email to confirm your subscription to the newsletter.

Warlick and his staff used the advance notice to take a step ahead on UCLA screening.

"UCLA is going to be a tough opponent," said Warlick. "They're athletic, they're fast, they play hard against all (defense)."

Tennessee had an eventful season in which they had a series of six straight defeats in the program in January. The Lady Flights bounced back to boost their resume before losing to Vanderbilt in February – the first time the UT had lost to the Commodores in Knoxville.

TO CLOSE

Tennessee starting point guard Evina Westbrook has pleaded her case at the NCAA's Lady Vols Tournament.
Phil Kaplan, USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

Tennessee stabilized its position by defeating LSU in its first game at the SEC Tournament before sinking in the quarterfinals against the Mississippi State.

When the Lady Flights play at UCLA on Saturday, it will be 15 days since their last match.

"I hope we are hungry," said Warlick. "We are thrilled to be in the tournament, we have to play hard, reduce our turnovers and make great shots, just be thankful to be in the tournament and play as hard as you can. did that in the past, when we played and worked hard, great things happened to us. "

AT THE TOP, BUT AT: Look at the first round match between Tennessee and UCLA

DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get news from UT Flights from Knoxville News Sentinel on your mobile device