The Tennessee Lady Vols have been in the middle of some struggles that they really have no business being in, as it is no secret that this team has a lot of firepower, but that hasn’t shown to the degree that we all know that it should and can be. That being as it is no secret that the Tennessee Lady Vols should be winning the games that they have had thus far, and they should be winning by a lot.
The only acceptable game that you can make a case for when it comes to losing is the season opener. That game being against a very tough NC State team. The Lady Vols would follow with a pair of wins after their loss to the Wolfpack, but after those win they would advance to Thursday’s game, which really showed the flaws that the Tennessee Lady Vols have, as they were in a tight contest for nearly the whole game, but especially down the stretch, as there were multiple lead changes in this game.
Here’s the catch. The team that they showed a lot of struggles against is the Belmont Bruins. Belmont held a record 1-1 record prior to Thursday night, but they gave the Lady Vols a run for their money for most of the night.
Tennessee Head Coach Kim Caldwell during the Pat Summitt Classic between Tennessee versus UT-Martin inside Kathleen and Tom Elan Center in Martin. Tenn., on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. / Jamar Coach / The Jackson Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The outcome didn’t go as the Lady Vols wanted it to, as the final score was 68-58. The winner of the contest ended up being Tennessee, even though they had a pretty bad showing.
The Tennessee Lady Vols ultimately survived, as defeat may be a bit of an overstatement. Every win counts, and come selection day it isn’t something that will be talked about, but the struggles in this game almost got them burned by the Bruins fire. This is something they will work to fix, and will need to fix immediately, as tough games are inching closer. Luckily for them, they have what is expected to be a blowout win against Middle Tennessee State. Following that they will play against Coppin State before things begin to get dangerous. Their game against MTSU will be next Thursday, so there will be a week long stretch of focus and determination, as they look to fix those nasty bends that they have.
It is a long season, but the things they have struggled with, such as their 3pt shooting, seem to be critical fixes before they face off with teams like UCLA (who they play this month).
