Tennessee Softball Reloads For 2026

The Tennessee Lady Vols are wasting no time upgrading for another title push. Head coach Karen Weekly has dipped into the Mountain West Conference talent pool, securing All-MW First Team selections Makenzie Butt and Sophia Knight, dynamic Boise State transfers who arrive with eye-catching statistics, postseason résumé, and a championship mindset perfectly suited for Rocky Top.

California products Butt (Garden Grove) and Knight (Huntington Beach) were pivotal in the Broncos’ 2025 success and should deliver immediate dividends in Knoxville. Knight, a rising junior, claimed Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors in 2024 and repeated as a First-Team selection in 2025.

She pairs elite top-of-the-order speed with remarkable consistency, boasting a .445 career average, .482 on-base percentage, 188 hits, 114 runs, and 45 steals across 115 starts. “Sophia is a fast and dynamic offensive threat,” According to UTSports.com, Weekly said. “She will remind fans of the great speed players we’ve had over the years at Tennessee, and she embodies our program’s values.”

Butt, meanwhile, brings thunder to the heart of the lineup. Armed with three seasons of eligibility, the 2025 Mountain West Freshman of the Year launched 22 home runs and drove in 77 runs as a freshman, slashing .363/.495/.821, numbers that earned her Freshman All-America nods from both Softball America and D1Softball. Weekly praised Butt’s “fierce competitiveness” and her proven track record of winning at every level, noting that her energy “is a great fit for our culture.”

For a Tennessee squad that has turned Omaha into a near-annual destination, the blend of Knight’s table-setting speed and Butt’s middle-order power adds explosive potential to the 2026 roster. Expect Lady Vol crowds to witness plenty of stolen-base fireworks and fence-clearing heroics as Tennessee chases its long-awaited national championship.