Lady Vols Rowing Team at Carnegie Lake; image courtesy of Tennesse Athletics

PRINCETON, NJ - Battling against some of the top programs in the country, No. 4 Tennessee put together a great race plan as it won five of the six contests on the day. The Lady Vols swept all three of the varsity four races, while also coming out on top in two of the varsity eight events.

It was a battle of many of the country's top programs, with all four ranking in the top eight nationally. Coming into the weekend, Yale ranked No. 3, Princeton ranked No. 6, with Virginia closing out the group ranked eighth overall.

The first varsity eight crew for Tennessee got the morning started, posting a strong performance with a time of 6:12.1. The win set the tone for the rest of the day, with the Lady Vols finishing nearly three seconds ahead of third-ranked Yale. Finishing in third overall was host Princeton (6:17.1), followed in fourth by Virginia.

This marks the fourth consecutive win for the first varsity eight crew over nationally ranked programs, following its third wins at the Rocky Top Invite earlier this month. At the Rocky Top Invite, the team was able to win its three races over ranked teams including No. 13 Alabama, No. 14 Duke, No. 19 Pennsylvania, and No. 20 UCLA.

The strong performances continued for the first varsity four, who took a close victory in their race, crossing the line with a time of 7:15.3. The crew edged out No. 8 Virginia who placed second with a 7:19.0. Rounding out the race in third and fourth respectively was No. 6 Princeton and No. 3 Yale.

The third varsity eight collected the third win of the day for Tennessee, clocking a time of 6:42.6. The boat had the clear advantage in the event, with the next closest competitor finishing over 13 seconds ahead of No. 8 Virginia. No. 6 Princeton followed in third with a 7:21.1 and coming fourth with a 7:22.7 was third-ranked Yale.

Both the 2V4 and 3V4 notched the final two wins for Tennessee in New Jersey. The 2V4 crew secured its victory with a time of 7:19.7. The Lady Vols claimed the victory in the race ahead of Yale, who crossed the line in 7:23.6. The 3V4 dominated from start to finish in its win, putting up an impressive time of 7:22.7. The Big Orange was in full control in the race, finishing over 23 seconds ahead of the field. Placing second was Princeton with a 7:46.0 and coming third overall in the race was Yale at 7:52.4.

On the day, Tennessee finished ahead of a combined 14 ranked boats in the competition, while sweeping all three varsity four races.

Up next, Tennessee now sets its sights on the postseason, with a three week break before heading to Oak Ridge for the 2026 SEC Championships on May 10.

Race Results
1V8+:
1. #4 Tennessee: 6:12.1
2. #3 Yale: 6:15.0
3. #6 Princeton: 6:17.1
4. #8 Virginia: 6:18.1

2V8+
1. #8 Virginia: 6:24.5
2. #6 Princeton: 6:25.6
3. #3 Yale: 6:28.3
4. #4 Tennessee: 6:28.9

1V4+
1. #4 Tennessee: 7:15.3
2. #8 Virginia: 7:19.0
3. #6 Princeton: 7:21.1
4. #3 Yale: 7:22.7

3V8+
1. #4 Tennessee: 6:42.6
2. #8 Virginia: 6:55.9
3. #6 Princeton: 6:58.2
4. #3 Yale: 6:59.6

2V4+
1. #4 Tennessee: 7:19.7
2. #3 Yale: 7:23.6
3. #6 Princeton: 7:33.3
4. #8 Virginia: 7:35.8

3V4+
1. #4 Tennessee: 7:22.7
2. #6 Princeton: 7:46.0
3. #3 Yale: 7:52.4

Lineups:
1V8 - Taryn Graves (coxswain), Meg Flanagan, Alexandra Axten, Hannah Richardson, Alex Pidgeon, Nicole Campbell, Hannah Smith, Maylie Valiquette, Frida Werner Foldager

V8 - Mykayla Fluster (coxswain), Stevie Mabey, Sheya Lavin, Ellexi Fulton, Olivia Tatterfield, Ariella Jeffery, Megan Wood, Ūla Jonušaitė, Ava Mulholland

1V4 - Audrey Bast (coxswain), Thea Coull, Paris Thornburg, Stella Mirkovic, Zoe DeFeo

2V4 - Patricia Menendez (coxswain), Stela Kreft, Grace Armstrong, Emma Flanagan, Kathryn Burton

3V8 - Lily Sica (coxswain), Tiara Dye, Roxy Welford, Sydney Harris, Eléa Dalla Costa, Riley Parbon, Maddie Becker, Bridget Sisul, Maiya Birdling

3V4 - Marissa Garcia (coxswain), Katie Dahl, Elizabeth Peberdy, Jade Bliss, Sarah Shepherd