Lady Vols Freshmen Aim to Make Noise in March Madness Rematch Against NC State The Lady Vols’ freshman class, still finding their footing in college basketball, faced a mix of nerves and excitement as they awaited their NCAA Tournament seeding on Selection Sunday. Mya Pauldo described the moment as a “ball of nerves,” while Deniya Prawl felt detached, watching projections of Tennessee as a No. 8 seed and other teams fill the seed line. Despite the uncertainty, the freshmen were determined to make their mark. Tennessee, seeded No. 10, wasn’t in danger of missing the tournament for the first time in program history, but the young players were unsure what to expect from their first Selection Sunday. Jaida Civil called the experience “crazy,” admitting she didn’t fully grasp the significance at first. However, seeing their names called and continuing the legacy of the program brought a sense of pride. The nerves quickly turned to excitement when the Lady Vols learned their first-round matchup: a rematch against No. 7 seed NC State at the Crisler Center on March 20. A win would set up a potential second-round clash with either No. 2 seed Michigan or No. 15 seed Holy Cross. The Lady Vols (16-13) have a history with the Wolfpack, having lost their season opener 80-77 on Nov. 4. Coach Kim Caldwell emphasized the need to prove themselves, and the players echoed that sentiment. Civil expressed a strong desire to revisit the game, hoping to correct their earlier performance. She grinned when acknowledging the extra motivation behind the rematch. “I feel like that’s going to be the one to bring us back to where we were with our winning streak,” Mia Pauldo said. “I think the NCAA knew what they were doing with that one.” Pauldo added, “I was super surprised and I’m not going to lie, I like it, because we get to get our get back.#nc_state #lady_vols #mya_pauldo #deniya_prawl #jaida_civil
