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Tennessee softball legend Monica Abbott raves about 2023 Lady Vols squad: 'They're very well-rounded'

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra06/01/23

SamraSource

Monica Abbott
(Photo by Yuichi Masuda/Getty Images)

Monica Abbott was phenomenal throughout her time at Tennessee, but now she’s cheering on the Volunteers at the Women’s College World Series.

As Tennessee currently leads the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Opening Round of the Women’s College World Series, Abbott — who finished as a runner-up with the Volunteers during the 2007 iteration of the event — joined the ESPN broadcast to explain her thoughts on the 2023 Volunteers.

“Honestly, I think that they’re very well-rounded,” explained the 4-time NCFA All-American. “They obviously have their stars, like Kiki Milloy and Ashley Rogers, but they have a lot of really big unsung heroes and contributors.

“People that are showing up in big moments, like Rylie West and McKenna Gibson, even today Katie Taylor. So they have players in their lineup that are showing up, and just kind of being the unsung hero for that game.”

Continuing, Abbott knows what’s going through an athlete’s mind during their time at the Women’s College World Series, and she recollected her memories from the time she spent on the field there.

“I feel like when I played, I had a lot of nerves, especially at the start,” stated Abbott. “You’re there, your first game. I remember the crowd being loud, and like, lots of fans being really excited. Honestly, the best playing surface, and the best place to play softball. That’s why it’s the home of softball.”

As for the current state of the game of college softball, Abbott believes the way pitching has evolved at the collegiate level has been fascinating, and it’s one of the reasons why Tennessee has found success.

“I think it’s so important to have a pitching staff, and to celebrate what each pitcher’s good at,” explained the former Tennessee star. “You know, I was a flamethrower, I threw hard. Ashley Rogers throws hard. Payton Gottshall, she moves the ball really well, her spin is crazy good. So being able to have different pitchers compliment people, because as the game has evolved in the pitching circle.

“It’s also evolved with hitters, and they’ve gotten so much better, so you have to have a multiple pitching staff to be able to balance that out.”

Some wonderful insight from Monica Abbott during Tennessee’s game against Alabama, as she hopes to see the Volunteers close this one out.