Volunteer Country

Lady Vols Star Freshman Arrives on Rocky Top, Addresses Lady Vol Nation

Tennessee Lady Vols Basketball Star Freshman Justine Pissott Arrives on Rocky Top, Addresses Lady Vol Nation

Jack Foster

Incoming standout Lady Vols freshman Justine Pissott has officially arrived at the University of Tennessee after a busy summer.

Upon arrival, Pissott and Lady Vol Basketball took to Twitter to officially address Lady Vol Nation for the first time, and the five-star claims she's "so excited to be with my teammates and get started. Go Vols." 

The video courtesy Lady Vol Basketball Twitter can be seen below. 

Pissott, the No. 11 overall player in ESPN Women's Top 100 for the Class of 2022, has been hard at work this summer playing offseason basketball, most recently in Argentina where she won a gold medal. The Toms River, New Jersey, native was a part of the 2022 USA U18 National Team at the FIBA U18 Women's America Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Pissott shined in international play, helping the USA go undefeated in the tournament, beating Canada 82-77 in the championship to win the gold medal. Pissott's first international gold medal capped her performance in which she averaged 15.3 minutes per game, along 6.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists off the bench per game in six contests. She notched a pair of double-digit efforts, scoring 13 vs. Puerto Rico in Group play and drilling four threes to go for a dozen points vs. Brazil in the semifinals. USA's victory marked their tenth straight in the tournament and 11th since the tournament began in 1988.

In addition to winning a gold medal on the USA U18 National Team, the freshman was tabbed with a spot on the WBCA High School Coaches' All-America Team this offseason and was named a McDonald's All-American, competing in that all-star game as well as the Jordan Brand Classic in the Spring. 

One of two incoming freshman for the Lady Vols this season, Pissott stands at 6'4" and figures to serve as a key player at the wing position for UT in her first season. 

There's a lot to be excited for with Pissott if you are a Lady Vol fan. The Red Bank Catholic High School product is the highest-ranked Lady Vol recruit since 2019, and her highlight tape speaks for itself. 

Video courtesy Jersey Sports Zone Youtube Channel

Pissott will join a star-studded 2022-2023 Lady Vols roster, featuring star returners Jordan Horston and Tamari Key as well as standout transfers Jasmine Powell, Jasmine Franklin and Rickea Jackson. 

The current Lady Vols roster outlook for the 2022-2023 season is below. 

#0 Brooklynn Miles, So. G

#1 Sara Puckett, So. G/F

#2 Rickea Jackson, Sr. F

#4 Jordan Walker, Gr. G

#5 Kaiya Wynn, So. G

#10 Jessie Rennie, Sr. G

#11 Karoline Striplin, So. F

#12 Edie Darby, Fr. G

#13 Justine Pissott, Fr. G/F

#14 Jasmine Franklin, Gr. F

#15 Jasmine Powell, Sr. G

#20 Tamari Key, Sr. C

#21 Tess Darby, Jr. G

#25 Jordan Horston, Sr. G

#33 Marta Suárez, Redshirt So., G/F

#53 Jillian Hollingshead, So. F

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Jack Foster
JACK FOSTER

Jack is a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville majoring in Journalism/Electronic Media. Jack grew up in Paris, Tennessee, but now spends the majority of his time in Knoxville doubling as a student and sports journalist for Volunteer Country. Jack has been a sports junkie since he was a young kid and always watched NFL football with his dad on Sundays. Jack still follows the NFL religiously, as he is an avid fantasy football player. Jack started with Volunteer Country in May of 2021 and has since helped provide full coverage of football, baseball and men's and women's basketball. Jack also works as a recurring member of WUTK's Rock Solid Sports show on Wednesdays and Fridays, and he also serves as head sports producer of The Volunteer Channel's Vol News, a student-run show at the University. When Jack is not watching or covering sports, find him on the golf course or back home spending time with his parents, younger sister and friends. Follow Jack on Twitter and Instagram by clicking "Twitter" and "Instagram" to see all of his work with Volunteer Country as well as student media.