No, it’s not déjà vu. Lady Vols basketball and NC State have already played each other this season, but are set to meet again in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
This time, Tennessee is the 10-seed in March Madness, and the Wolfpack are the 7-seed. The winner will likely play 2-seed Michigan, barring a historic upset. Those two rounds of games will both be played on the Wolverines’ home floor in Ann Arbor.
If you rewind to the Lady Vols and NC State’s first meeting, it looks a lot different than it does this time around. When they met to open the season, Tennessee was ranked No. 8 in the country, while NCSU was No. 9. Now, both are coming off disappointing years and looking to make up for it in the NCAA Tournament.
More From RTI: See Lady Vols Basketball’s Draw in the 2026 NCAA Tournament
The first matchup was won by the Wolfpack, 80-77. It was a neutral-site game, played in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Leading the way for NC State in the win was Khamil Pierre. In her first game with the program, she produced 21 points, 14 rebounds, three steals and a block. Tilda Trygger dropped 19 points and eight rebounds, and Zamareya Jones notched 18 points and five assists.
For Tennessee, Talaysia Cooper led the way. She managed 23 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block. Janiah Barker scored 15 points and Jaida Civil scored 13, as well.
As a team, both squads shot 39% from the field. NC State made 29% of threes, while the Lady Vols made 27%. On the glass, both teams grabbed 48 rebounds. UT turned it over 11 times, while the Wolfpack turned it over 10 times.
More to follow: Kentucky betting lines
