Kellie Harper wants Lady Vols to 'take some ownership' in loss to MTSU

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Published Dec 6, 2023

Kellie Harper wants Lady Vols to 'take some ownership' in loss to MTSU

Ryan Sylvia • VolReport

Assistant Managing Editor

@RyanTSylvia

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — During Tennessee's trip to Huntsville to face MTSU, the Lady Vols didn't have enough to survive the hot-shooting Lady Raiders.

Tennessee fell 73-62 in the contest to mark its third-straight loss as it fell to 4-5.

With the season off to a tough start, the Lady Vols need to find an answer. Head coach Kellie Harper is asking her team to evaluate themselves and take ownership.

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"This one, we've got to take some ownership," said Harper. "A little bit more ownership than we're taking in the locker room right now, if I'm being quite honest with you. I think we're trying to help them, but at some point they've got to step up and help themselves. I'm really challenging our team right now."

What does taking ownership look like, though?

For Harper, she wants the staff to continue to help the team look inward and improve.

"I think they really got to, individually, they've got to look inside themselves and see where each person can get better," said Harper. "As a staff, we continue to help them, we continue to work with them every day. There's got to be some gut checks right now."

This doesn't just fall on the players, though. Harper is aware that she needs to continue to improve, as well.

She noted that her job entails this analysis. Every decision she makes must be looked at and deeply evaluated.

However, Harper is also calling upon her team to have players step up. She wants a voice in the locker room outside of the staffs' to carry weight.

"Obviously, we do," said Harper on if the coaching staff must look inward. "That's my job. Every single day, I pick apart every single decision I make. I know our staff is working their tail off right now. 100%. We've got to have some of that in the locker room. We've got to have some leaders emerge in our locker room now more than ever."

Next, Tennessee will face Eastern Kentucky in Knoxville on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET.

SEC play begins in a road trip to Auburn on Jan. 4.

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