Lady Vols rowers stay alive in repechage rounds

Tennessee's rowers are still afloat and competing in the repechage rounds at the NCAA Championships on Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif.

The first eights finished seventh in their Friday afternoon race and qualified for the "C" final. In their morning race, the first eights were within a second of third-place Princeton and the last semifinal qualifying spot with 500 meters left in its heat but finished fifth in 6:30.69.

The second eights, meanwhile, finished third in their heat at 6:53.3. Only the winners of the two heats - Ohio State and Brown - advanced to the grand final. The Lady Vols were one of 10 repechage qualifiers. The top two shells from the two races today qualify for the grand final.

In the fours, the Lady Vols were last among the six boats in the first heat, covering the distance in 7:52.68. The Lady Vols will compete in one of two morning races with the top two shells in each race advancing to the grand final.

Women's Volleyball: Tennessee's 31-match schedule for the 2008 season features seven teams that made the NCAA tournament field.

The Lady Vols will open the season against in-state rival Chattanooga at the Marquette Kick-Off tournament in Milwaukee, Wis., Aug. 29.

Tennessee, 11-18 last season, will open its home schedule with the Comcast Lady Vol Classic on Sept. 12 and 14 at Thompson-Boling Arena, featuring Illinois, Dayton and Gardner-Webb. The Classic has an off day to avoid conflict with Tennessee's football game against Alabama-Birmingham.

Tennessee will open SEC play against Mississippi State on Sept. 19.

"Overall, I feel that we have a very tough, but fair schedule,'' UT coach Rob Patrick said. "... I think that this schedule, especially the non-conference portion, will allow our team to find itself."