The Lady Vols are wrapping up their West Coast swing with a marquee matchup that could tell us a lot about where this team stands heading into the heart of the season.
No. 17 Tennessee (5-2) heads into Maples Pavilion to take on No.
8 Stanford (8-1) on Sunday night as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge (9:15 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
It’s the second leg of a tough California road trip for the Lady Vols, who are coming off a 99-77 loss to No. 4 UCLA - a game that exposed some serious defensive issues and raised questions about how this team responds to elite competition.
Head coach Kim Caldwell didn’t mince words after the loss, telling the Lady Vol Radio Network, “We have to go 1-1 on this trip out here.” That UCLA game wasn’t just a bad night - it was the most points Tennessee has allowed all season under Caldwell, and it came with a side of 20 turnovers that led directly to 29 points for the Bruins. That’s the kind of stat line that doesn’t just hurt - it lingers.
To their credit, the Lady Vols showed some fight. After trailing by 23 late in the third quarter, they trimmed the deficit to 10 to start the fourth.
But UCLA slammed the door shut almost immediately, stretching the lead back over 20 and keeping it there for the final three minutes. It was a humbling loss, and now we’ll see how Tennessee bounces back against a Stanford team that’s looking to find its own rhythm.
The Cardinal are coming off a split weekend at the Resorts World Classic in Las Vegas, where they dropped a 66-62 game to FGCU before eking out a 62-60 win over Colorado State. That FGCU loss was a surprise, but Stanford remains one of the most balanced and disciplined teams in the country - and playing them at Maples is never easy.
This matchup is a big opportunity for Tennessee to reset the tone. The Lady Vols have shown flashes of what they can be - dominant wins over ETSU, MTSU, and Coppin State proved they can overwhelm opponents when they’re locked in. But against top-tier teams like NC State and UCLA, they’ve struggled to maintain consistency, especially on the defensive end.
Here’s what’s ahead for Tennessee as they continue their 2025-26 campaign:
Tennessee 2025-26 Schedule (Select Games)
- **Nov.
4:** NC State 80, Tennessee 77
- **Nov.
7:** Tennessee 97, ETSU 47
- **Nov.
9:** Tennessee 72, UT Martin 61
- **Nov.
13:** Tennessee 68, Belmont 58
- **Nov.
20:** Tennessee 85, MTSU 41
- **Nov.
23:** Tennessee 88, Coppin State 35
- **Nov.
30:** UCLA 99, Tennessee 77
- Dec. 3: at Stanford (9:15 p.m.
ET, ESPN2)
- Dec. 14: vs.
Winthrop (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)
- Dec. 20: vs. Louisville (Women’s Champions Classic, 10:30 a.m.
ET, FOX)
- Dec. 22: vs.
Southern Indiana (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)
SEC Schedule Highlights:
- Jan. 1: vs.
Florida
- Jan. 4: at Auburn
- Jan. 8: at Mississippi State
- Jan. 11: vs.
Arkansas
- Jan. 18: at Alabama
- Jan. 22: vs. Kentucky
- Feb. 1: at UConn (non-conference showdown)
- Feb. 8: at South Carolina
- Feb. 15: vs. Texas
- Feb. 26: at LSU
- March 1: vs.
Vanderbilt
The road ahead is no joke. The Lady Vols will face multiple ranked opponents and tough SEC road environments.
But first, all eyes are on Stanford. This isn’t just about getting a win - it’s about showing they can respond to adversity, clean up the turnovers, and start defending with the kind of urgency that’s going to be required every night in conference play.
Sunday night in Palo Alto is more than a non-conference game. It’s a gut check. Let’s see how Tennessee answers the call.