Tennessee Softball Players Announce Intent to Enter Transfer Portal

May 28, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Tennessee Lady Volunteers head coach Karen Weekly looks out over the field in the first inning against the Texas Longhorns during the NCAA Women’s College World Series at Devon Park. Tennessee won 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

After two devastating losses to Texas in the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series (WCWS), a couple of Lady Vols have expressed intent to enter the transfer portal when it opens on June 8. 

Sophomore outfielder Saviya Morgan announced first on Tuesday, followed by freshman pitcher Kailey Plumlee on Wednesday.  

“I have decided to enter the transfer portal and explore what’s next in my softball journey. Excited for what’s to come and thankful for my time in Tennessee that opened my eyes to what the future holds,” Morgan posted to social media. 

I will be entering the portal with 2 years of eligibility left. pic.twitter.com/ijPdXeEPR5

— Saviya Morgan (@SaviyaMorgan) June 3, 2026

“I would like to thank the University of Tennessee for a year of growth and memories. With that being said, I will be entering my name into the transfer portal as a left-handed pitcher with four years of eligibility remaining!,” Plumlee wrote on X. 

I would like to thank the University of Tennessee for a year of growth and memories. With that being said, I will be entering my name into the transfer portal as a left-handed pitcher with four years of eligibility remaining!@Jeremy_P_Higdon @fplatinum_hutch pic.twitter.com/8z1OBsK8si

— Kailey Plumlee (@KaileyPlumlee) June 4, 2026

While Plumlee did not appear in a single game in 2026, Morgan saw 36 games with 10 starts. She put up a .293 batting average with 10 runs, five RBIs, and two doubles. This was vastly different from her rookie season, where she was a staple in the lineup, appearing in 62 games with 59 starts. She hit .340 with 48 runs, 14 RBIs, four doubles, and two triples. 

M6: Saviya Morgan rips a single back up the middle to plate Tae for our second run of the night!

Lady Vols 2, Wildcats 0 pic.twitter.com/Nl6cwgbfNd

— Tennessee Softball (@Vol_Softball) April 12, 2026

Morgan was often called on by head coach Karen Weekly this season as the primary pinch runner. 

"She's got such great instincts to go along with her speed, and she just knows how to make things happen," Weekly told Cora Hall at Knoxville News Sentinel in April after Morgan successfully scored in a rundown. 

Morgan is a Tennessee native and holds several records at Columbia Central, including most stolen bases in a single season (68) and career (175), along with the highest single-season batting average at .735. She’ll now have two years of eligibility remaining. 

As for Plumlee, a chance to pitch with standouts like Karlyn Pickens, Sage Mardjetko, and Erin Nuwer on the roster was extremely thin. She is also a Tennessee native and earned the 2024 Tennessee Softball Gatorade Player of the Year award with Gordonsville High School. There, she led her team to two 1A state championships in 2023 and 2024. 

The Lady Vols ended their 2026 season with a 49-12 record and a third-straight WCWS appearance. After going undefeated in Oklahoma City, they dropped the opener against the Longhorns 5-2, before taking another 4-0 loss in the winner-take-all second game.

While Pickens, Camryn Sarvis, and Jackie Kirkpatrick are the only seniors to leave, the incredibly strong starting batting order is eligible to return in 2027. This would include standouts like Sophia Knight, Gabby and Alannah Leach, and Taelyn Holley.