Tennessee softball saw two players win major SEC awards following the 2024 conference season. Head coach Karen Weekly repeated as the conference’s coach of the year, while Karlyn Pickens won the SEC Pitcher of the Year award. The Lady Vols earned five spots on the All-SEC First Team this season, with three players being named to the All-SEC Second Team.
Weekly won the SEC Coach of the Year award for the fourth time this season. She first won the award in 2004 and 2007, seasons where the Lady Vols won the SEC East. She also won the award in 2023 following Tennessee’s first regular season SEC Championship since 2007. This season, Weekly led the Lady Vols to a 19-5 conference record and back-to-back regular season championships.
Pickens finished her sophomore season with a 9-3 SEC record and an ERA of 1.70. She went the distance six times, shutting out conference opponents on four occasions. She is just the second Tennessee pitcher to win the award after Monica Abbott, and her award win comes after being named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2023.
Alongside Pickens, four other Lady Vols were named to the All-SEC First Team. Pickens was joined by pitcher Payton Gottshall, who wrapped up SEC play with a 9-2 record and a 1.41 ERA. Pickens and Gottshall relieved each other on several occasions this season, including in Tennessee’s loss in the SEC Tournament to LSU.
Taylor Pannell earned All-SEC First Team honors after a strong finish to her redshirt freshman season. The outfielder hit .342 during the SEC schedule and hit six home runs. Also in the outfield, Rylie West made her first career All-SEC appearance thanks to a .308 batting average and four home runs.
Infielder McKenna Gibson was named to the All-SEC First Team for the second straight season. Gibson hit four home runs and five doubles during conference play, driving in 19 batters.
Kiki Milloy, Sophia Nugent and Zaida Puni were named to the All-SEC Second Team this season. Puni earned her third All-SEC selection, while Milloy was honored for the fourth time in her career.
