Tennessee rowing swept the inaugural Rocky Top Invite in its second race of the season Saturday.
The No. 5 Lady Vols started the season somewhat slow, getting swept by No. 2 Stanford. They responded well, winning every race both days in Oak Ridge and capturing the Volunteer Cup.
Tennessee spent last season climbing the rankings, eventually finishing 3rd in the NCAA Championships. This year, they started at the top.
“When you have success the year before, you have to really bring them back to the basics and racing well,” Tennessee head coach Kim Cupini said. “Focusing on being at home and really putting down some good times.”
Tennessee’s 1v8, coxed by Patricia Menendez, started the day off strong for the Lady Vols. The boat beat UCF by over eight seconds to give the Lady Vols their opening win of the day. Taryn Graves coxed the 2v8 boat to a five-second win over Duke.
The Lady Vols have their top two boats led by freshmen a year after having them both led by fifth-year seniors. Cupini has faith in her first-year athletes in such a big position, one where they can grow over the course of their careers.
“It’s really cool to be working with them, to come along with us,” Cupini said. “So that’s pretty awesome, but they’re learning.”
The 1v4 and 2v4 boats both picked up wins for the Lady Vols. The top four boat beat Duke by three seconds, and the second four earned a five-second win.
Tennessee’s 3v8 boat proved Tennessee’s strength throughout its boats. It kept the potential sweep going for the Lady Vols, beating Duke and North Carolina by over 10 seconds.
“It’s so easy to lose in one event,” Cupini said. “So when you sweep, one thing I’m reminded of is we have such a strong team.”
Tennessee’s 4v8 got a chance to race Saturday, taking on Clemson’s 3v8 boat in the B final. The Lady Vols beat the Tigers by over three seconds, a major win for that boat.
One of Tennessee’s best assets this season is its culture. The Lady Vols are strong throughout their boats, and rowers are always looking for a strong performance and to move up. At the same time, the team always remains encouraging, even when competing.
“They’re super competitive, but they always support each other,” Cupini said. “They always joke around. I hear these horror stories with other teams where people are really putting each other down to get up into the top boats. They are super supportive, which is really awesome, and they’re just really happy for each other.”
That encouragement could have been tested in the last race of the day when the 4v4 beat the 3v4. It wasn’t, and the whole team celebrated the win — and both boats beating North Carolina.
Early in the season, Tennessee’s lineups are changing regularly. From the Stanford loss to the Rocky Top Invite a week later, Cupini made four changes to her 1v8 lineup, including at coxswain.
“It’s early season, so we don’t stress on the lineups too much with some of the boats and then you always have people go out for sicknesses,” Cupini said. “We have a kid out for sickness, so it does have the trickle-down effect, so you’re always putting together lineups really quick.”
