Historically, Tennessee has been a staple in the Sweet 16.

Including this year, the Lady Vols have appeared in the round 36 total times. This includes 27 straight spots in the round from 1982-2008.

However, Tennessee was held out of the second weekend of March Madness for six years after reaching the Sweet 16 in 2016.

Despite the postseason woes, Kellie Harper has now shot the Lady Vols back into the round in consecutive seasons.

The team doesn't want to stop there, though. Instead, they have hopes of earning a spot in the Elite Eight for the first time since the 2016 season.

"It's huge," said sophomore Karoline Striplin. "It's really exciting for us as a team and for coach Kellie (Harper). ... Just being able to be a part of that is really fun. And just like you said, it's the second year in a row. Most of us have been in a Sweet 16 before so we kind of know what to expect. We're hoping to go even further this year and make it to the first Elite Eight in a while."

In the way of a monumental win and spot in the Elite Eight is Virginia Tech.

The Hokies have put together a great season – including a claim of the ACC Tournament championship and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Tennessee has been able to see this success firsthand as Virginia Tech downed the Lady Vols, 59-56, in Knoxville on Dec. 4 in the Jimmy V Women's Classic.

In that outing, Tennessee was without star forward Rickea Jackson. The team's leading scorer missed the game as a part of an unexplained stretch of absences from the team.

Due to this, Jordan Horston stepped up to score 26 points in a double-double effort. Although the team made it close in the end, its late surge wasn't enough to take down the Hokies in consecutive seasons after winning in Blacksburg a year prior.

The recent history between the teams creates a unique situation. The squads are both familiar with how the other group plays.

However, Tennessee has grown an immense amount since the meeting. The team thinks it can use this growth as an advantage.

"We know that they're a team that likes to shoot outside," said junior Tess Darby. "They can shoot the three-ball really, really well. ... All of them. They have a really good post player. But we're also a huge different team than we were in the first of November. We were still trying to figure out who we were as a team. Just playing with all different new players. I think we're peaking at the right time. I'm looking forward to seeing them again for the second time this season."

Tennessee has seen improvement in a few areas as the season has progressed. Primarily, it has gained comfort in playing with newcomers.

The Lady Vols added four impactful transfers and a five-star freshman before the season.

"I think just playing with each other and having the confidence that we have in each other," said Darby. "Figuring out who's going to be where and just different positions. It's really hard to go out there with a team of all new players and play for the first time and try to figure out their game. I think we're clicking at the right time.

"I think we're going to be good."

Another area of growth has been on the defensive end. This was on display in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament as neither Saint Louis nor Toledo managed to score more than 50 points against the Lady Vols.

Scoring over 90 points in both games certainly is an offensive improvement, as well.

"For one, our defense got better," said Horston. "We're all five guarding the ball. Only allowing one shot for the most part. And then we're crashing hard, pushing in transition and knocking down shots. I feel like our chemistry has gotten stronger and we're playing harder."

Virginia Tech has also grown, though.

The Hokies are in the midst of a 13-game win streak with their last loss coming to Duke on Jan. 26 on the road.

"We're both two different teams, but we know their plays and things like that," said Horston. "We're two different teams. Both of us. ... It's going to be a different battle."

Whether Tennessee can pull off the upset or if its season ends with a Sweet 16 loss, earning two straight third-round births is still a massive step in the right direction.

The players on the team understand the history of the program and want to help bring the Lady Vols back to prominence.

"(Making the Sweet 16) just shows that we work hard and the growth," said Horston. "This program has such rich history and it shows we're trying to bring that back. We're working hard every day. We're grinding it out. We're facing adversity and overcoming it."

This was Harper's plan all along. She was a crucial part of three National Championships and wants to bring more as a coach.

"It's really special to be a part of this team," said Darby. "It's kind of what Coach Kellie (Harper's) vision was that she had for this program when we were in the recruiting process. She wants to get Tennessee back where it belongs."

The teams will square off on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The winner will advance to the Elite Eight to face either UConn or Ohio State. The Lady Vols have already faced both teams in the regular season, as well.

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