Lady Vols-Ole Miss Matchup Postponed Amid Ice Storm, Tennessee Turns Focus to Mississippi State Rematch
The SEC showdown between No. 17 Tennessee and No.
18 Ole Miss, originally set for Monday, has been postponed due to a severe ice storm that swept through North Mississippi. With power outages, downed utility lines, and treacherous roads reported in Oxford, safety took priority-and rightfully so.
A rescheduled date has yet to be announced, and it won’t be easy to find room. The Lady Vols are already locked into Thursday-Sunday games for the rest of the regular season, and with no second conference bye-thanks to the UConn game being slotted into the SEC schedule-Tennessee’s calendar is getting tight. Ole Miss does have a bye on February 8, but Tennessee is booked that day with a high-profile road tilt at South Carolina.
For now, the Lady Vols (14-3, 6-0 SEC) will stay in Knoxville and lock in on what’s next: a Jan. 29 rematch at home against Mississippi State (15-5, 2-4), a team that’s shown flashes of potential despite its conference record. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.
ET at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. After that?
A quick turnaround and a road trip to face UConn on Sunday, Feb. 1, at noon ET.
This stretch of games is no joke, which makes Tennessee’s 6-0 start in SEC play all the more important. The Lady Vols have already knocked off two ranked teams, and that early momentum is giving them a cushion as the schedule tightens and the competition stiffens.
“It definitely matters,” head coach Kim Caldwell said of the strong start. “It worked out in our favor to where we could stack some games and build some confidence. And I think that was big for us.”
Caldwell also acknowledged the team’s uneven play at home, adding with a smile, “I don't really want to jinx it as we go on the road, but you've got to beat the teams that you can beat-because it does only get harder-and you try to get one that maybe you shouldn't.”
And while the veterans have held steady, it’s the freshmen who are starting to turn heads.
Deniya Prawl and Jaida Civil began the season showing flashes-quick first steps, aggressive drives-but struggled to finish at the rim. That’s changing. Over the last two games, both have started converting those tough buckets, and it’s adding a new layer to Tennessee’s offense.
“We’ve been working every day,” Prawl said. “Coach Kim wants us in the gym more than anyone.
So just continuing to get in the gym. Our strength coach is really good as well, getting us stronger.”
Prawl’s been putting in the work-and she made sure that didn’t go unnoticed.
“I gained seven pounds of muscle since the beginning of the season,” she said, proudly. “So just continuing to use my body and not fading is what I’m going to continue to do and continue working at it.”
She’s not just finishing stronger-she’s finishing with authority.
Meanwhile, Civil is becoming a two-way threat. On defense, she’s disruptive. On offense, she’s fearless.
“She’s attacking with confidence,” Caldwell said. “I think our team is doing a really good job of pouring into them and hyping them up at times-‘Go to the rim, go to the rim.’
And once they hear it from multiple people, they know that they can go do it. And they’ve seen it.”
With the schedule heating up and the road ahead packed with ranked opponents, Tennessee’s growth-especially from its young core-could be the difference between a solid season and a special one. The postponed game with Ole Miss may be a temporary detour, but for the Lady Vols, the real journey is just getting started.