Tennessee Shuts Out Nebraska to Advance to Ninth Women’s College World Series

Karlyn Pickens' 10 strikeouts and Ella Dodge's homer send Tennessee to its 9th Women’s College World Series.

Josh Greer | May 26, 2025

The Lady Vols softball team gather on the field during a NCAA super regionals softball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Nebraska Cornhuskers at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on May 25, 2025. / Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the ninth time in program history, the Tennessee Lady Volunteers are headed to the Women’s College World Series.

The No. 7 seed Lady Vols clinched the Knoxville Super Regional with a 1–0 victory over Nebraska in Sunday’s decisive Game 3 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. Junior ace Karlyn Pickens delivered a complete-game shutout, striking out 10 and allowing just a handful of base runners in a masterful performance under pressure.

The game’s only run came early, when freshman Ella Dodge launched a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.

Tennessee (45–15) showed remarkable resilience after dropping Game 1, 5–2. The Lady Vols battled back with a 3–2 win in Game 2 before sealing the series with Sunday’s shutout.

Behind head coach Karen Weekly’s leadership and Pickens’ dominance, the Vols secured a WCWS appearance —the pinnacle of NCAA Division I softball. The nation’s top eight teams will battle in a double-elimination format, with the final two squaring off in a best-of-three championship series to crown the national champion. Backed by momentum, postseason experience, and the electric arm of Karlyn Pickens, the Lady Vols enter the WCWS as a legitimate title contender.