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• Lady Vols don't buckle vs. alumni
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• Lady Vols finish No. 14 in fastpitch coaches' poll

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The Tennessee Lady Vol softball team will begin the 2008 season as the No. 6 team in the country, according to the preseason USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) rankings released Wednesday.

This marks the third consecutive season that UT softball will begin the year in the nation's top six as Tennessee opened the 2006 season at No. 3 and 2007 at No. 2.

UT will play five ranked squads this season. They are No. 4 Alabama, No. 9 LSU, No. 13 Florida, No. 18 Oregon State and No. 20 Oregon.

Two-time defending national champion Arizona opens the year where it left off at No. 1 after receiving 27 of the 29 possible first-place votes.

Texas A&M is No. 2, followed by Arizona State, Alabama and Oklahoma.

The Lady Vols return 12 letterwinners and six position starters from the 2007 team that placed second in the Women's College World Series, including two-time Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American senior Tonya Callahan (.385, 16 doubles, 11 HR's, 60 RBI in 2007), UT's career home run leader (35).

Also returning are senior catcher Shannon Doepking, a first-team All-SEC selection after hitting .278 with eight doubles, six HRs, 28 RBIs, sophomore utility player and 2007 SEC All-Freshman choice Tiffany Huff (.339, 11 doubles, six HR's, 58 RBIs), senior second baseman Kenora Posey (.272, 29 stolen bases) and junior Lillian Hammond (.414, .469 on-base percentage, 14 stolen bases).

The Lady Vols open the season Feb. 8 at the Cathedral City Kickoff in Cathedral City, Calif., against Utah State

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