OKLAHOMA CITY – Jewel Spear started going to Tennessee softball games when the NCAA tournament started this season, and it didn’t take long for her to get hooked.
The former Lady Vols basketball guard, who graduated in May, used to play softball growing up as a shortstop. Spear started going to Tennessee’s games because it was her last year and she wanted to support the team. She had one of the best seats in the house at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium for the NCAA super regionals, which the Lady Vols came back to win 2-1 over Nebraska.
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“It just speaks to who they are,” Spear told Knox News. “They faced a lot of adversity in the first game, but just being able to bounce back, back-to-back games and get a W, that was perfect.”
Spear kept following No. 7 seed Tennessee’s run in the WCWS from back home in The Colony, Texas. She was treated to a thriller on June 1 when the Lady Vols walked it off 5-4 in nine innings against No. 9 seed UCLA.
“I was watching with my family, my two brothers and my dad, and it literally was so nerve-wracking,” Spear said. “Because when we had two outs, it was kind of like a flashback to Oklahoma game. But then again, I knew we were hitting at the bottom of the inning, so I knew we were gonna be fine.”
After seeing the Lady Vols battle their way to another day in the Women’s College World Series, Spear knew she had to be there to see Tennessee face No. 6 seed Texas (53-11) in the semifinal on June 2. Senior pitcher Charli Orsini got Spear a ticket in the front row of Tennessee’s fan section at Devon Park, and Spear made the nearly three-hour drive in the next morning.
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Spear played for Tennessee from 2023-25, transferring in after playing her first three seasons at Wake Forest. She’s training right now while she and her agent find the best fit for her to continue her career as a pro overseas. Spear said she’ll know soon where she’s heading.
“My journey is going to be different, but it’s going to be fine because I know it’s all going to work out,” Spear said.
Spear’s two years at Tennessee went by quickly, but she’s grateful for her career in Knoxville. But her seasons as a Lady Vol were special, the second ending in a trip to the Sweet 16 in Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell’s first season.
“It just speaks to the fans, I think they made it very enjoyable,” Spear said. “The media as well, (it) just shows how important women’s basketball is. And I think that’s important, because it’s thriving right now, and it’s only going to get better.”
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Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Jewel Spear had to make drive to WCWS to watch Tennessee softball
