Tennessee’s offseason work paid off. A year after their worst postseason finish, the Lady Vols have earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Coach Pat Summitt said, “They wanted to get better. I think they were embarrassed. They made history in a bad way, so now I think they want to make history in a good way.”

Last year, the Lady Vols drew a No. 5 seed–their lowest ever–and lost to Ball State in their first opening round defeat in school history.

So far, all is right in Knoxville again.

Winning the Southeastern Conference’s regular-season and tournament titles helped Tennessee (29-2) grab the top seed in the Memphis, Tenn. regional, which will be played 560 kilometers away from its campus. It’s the 20th time the program has earned a No. 1 spot.

Sophomore guard Shekinna Stricklen said, “It feels great because usually Tennessee is a No. 1 seed, and I just feel like we’re back to Tennessee–the way Tennessee is supposed to be.”

(article source: Sports Illustrated, image source: Extra Point)