IX at 50: The Lady Vols Experience

To close out Season One, Dr. Sarah and LaVonna speak with 1996 NCAA champion Michelle Marciniak. Known as “Spinderella,” this former All-American translated a legendary career playing basketball for UT into one on the WNBA hardcourt and coaching sidelines before becoming an entrepreneur as co-CEO of SHEEX. From the boardroom to the basketball courts of Albania, where Marciniak met the female Afghan athletes who are soon-to-be the newest additions to the Lady Vols basketball family, this tour de force emphasizes the impact that visible role models and opportunities have, whether it’s for girls and women in the United States, Afghanistan, or elsewhere. 

In this ground-breaking episode, Dr Sarah and LaVonna welcome longtime UT women’s athletics Sports Information Director (SID) Debby Jennings (UT ‘77), who has been at the forefront pioneering Title IX’s sports provisions alongside the Lady Vols. Jennings has charted an unprecedented career in the field, earning accolades along the way, and was most recently named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's winner of the 2022 Mary Jo Haverbeck Award. Tune in for this extraordinary look at Title IX’s impact on Lady Vols, and women’s sports more broadly, at home and overseas.

This episode bridges the pre- and post-Title IX era as Dr Sarah and LaVonna welcome UT basketball’s Joy Scruggs, one of the first players to experience the game at UT on both sides of the divide. The 5’3” guard grew up in 1950s Chattanooga, an era in which society at large didn’t approve of girls playing sports with boys after a certain age. But as a Lady Vol from 1971 until 1975, including playing one season for Coach Pat Summitt, and then as a DIII coach, Scruggs’ career puts the seachange of options Title IX provided into perspective. Tune in for more in this foundational episode. 

In this high-octane episode, Dr. Sarah and LaVonna welcome UT legend, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, and 1988 Olympic gold medalist Bridgette Gordon. During Gordon’s time in Knoxville, she helped the Lady Vols capture their first two of eight NCAA basketball championship titles; she then translated a sterling student-athlete career into a professional one in Italy and the WNBA before transitioning to work as a coach, scout, and recruiter. Tune in to learn more about Gordon’s Title IX story, the meaning of the Lady Vols brand, reflections on the international game, her hopes for the next 50 years of Title IX and more.

In this exciting chapter, Dr. Sarah and LaVonna welcome UT softball standout and former professional player Madison Shipman. While at UT, Madison scooped up records left and right as part of co-head coach Karen and Ralph Weekly’s teams, including as vice champions of the 2013 Women’s College World Series. Today, she’s still giving back to the game in numerous ways, helping younger players to become comfortable being uncomfortable. 

In this exciting chapter, Dr. Sarah and LaVonna welcome UT softball standout Raven Chavanne. The 2011 SEC Champion helped UT softball to some of its finest seasons under co-head coaches Karen and Ralph Weekly, and also propelled Team USA to the podium at the 2014 World Championship (Silver). Tune in as Number 88 shares on leadership lessons, international experiences, and her wishes for the next 50 years of Title IX beneficiaries.

In this exciting chapter, Dr. Sarah and LaVonna welcome two-time Olympic silver medalist,  professional softball player, and one of the most decorated players in the history of college softball, Monica Abbott. While at UT, Monica became the NCAA Division leader in wins, strikeouts, shutouts, and innings - records that still stand today. She also led the Lady Vols to three consecutive Women's College World Series appearances (2005-07), and a runner-up finish in 2007.

This chapter flips the script and turns the spotlight on two-time track and field Olympian, 1989 UT alumna, and IX at 50 co-host LaVonna Martin Floreal. For LaVonna, her time at UT helped enable her NCAA and Olympic dreams, including a silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games. But it also reinforced how sports can empower women worldwide, to discover different places and people. 

In this exciting chapter, Dr. Sarah and LaVonna welcome Olympic gold medalist and pioneering sports executive Benita Fitzgerald Mosley. An outdoor hurdles specialist, she became the first American woman to win gold in the 100-meter hurdles at the 1984 LA Games. While at UT, Benita shattered records left and right, winning titles and setting expectations higher for women’s track and field at UT and more broadly. 

In this exciting chapter, Dr. Sarah and LaVonna welcome UT softball coach Karen Weekly, who for more than two decades has inspired and inscribed a championship tradition among generations of Lady Vol softball players. Since 2002, Karen’s teams have knocked it out of the park, winning titles and setting the bar higher for generations of UT female athletes. 

This chapter continues to lay foundations, as Dr. Sarah and LaVonna welcome Terry Crawford, the first national title winner for any Lady Vols athletic team. A track and field specialist, Terry blazed a path as UT women’s track coach in the 1970s and early 1980s, driving the team’s–and women’s sports at UT more broadly–growth in countless ways.

This chapter is about origin stories, as Dr. Sarah and LaVonna welcome legendary UT Women’s Athletic Director Joan Cronan. A former tennis player and multi-sport coach, Joan transitioned to sports administration and from 1983 through 2012 blazed a path at UT, helping women’s sports grow in countless ways, including winning 10 NCAA Championships during her tenure.