Tennessee women's basketball cleared to return ahead of Arkansas game

The Tennessee Lady Volunteers are back. 

Tennessee announced on Monday that its women's basketball program has been cleared to resume team activities ahead of Thursday's showdown with the No. 13-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks. The Lady Vols temporarily paused all activities last Tuesday because of the discovery of a positive COVID-19 test among players, coaches, team managers and support staff.

As a result of that decision, Tennessee's games against the Texas A&M Aggies and Kentucky Wildcats were postponed by the Southeastern Conference. According to Mechelle Voepel of ESPN, those contests have not yet been rescheduled. 

The Lady Vols won six of their first seven games of the season, and their only defeat to date came at the hands of the West Virginia Mountaineers on Dec. 6. Tennessee hasn't competed since a victory over the Lipscomb Lady Bisons on Dec. 28.

Programs such as the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles have observed 14-day quarantine periods following a positive test result among Tier 1 personnel. Tennessee, however, explained that it has met "all SEC Return To Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force requirements." 

Arkansas improved to 10-2 on the season with a win over the Missouri Tigers on Sunday. Before that, the Razorbacks fell to Kentucky the previous Thursday.