Diana Cantú returned to the University of Tennessee in 2021 to take over the women’s golf program with a clear vision. Having played for the Lady Vols, Cantú knew the program had all the resources in place to be a national contender. Her job was working to get everything in alignment and find players willing to stay the course.
The Lady Vols achieved a major breakthrough last week by winning their first SEC championship. UT defeated Auburn 3-2 in the match play final in Bellaire, Florida. The Lady Vols had finished runner-up at the SEC Championship twice before, most recently in 1999.
“This is a special place, and in my heart, I always believed that we were capable of achieving greatness,” Cantú says. “It’s really just about working really, really hard at that and not deviating from that vision. The whole season, this team had really high goals, and little by little, month by month, they just kept checking them off because they’re super committed to making that happen for themselves and for each other.”
Kyra Van Kan drained the winning putt for the Lady Vols in the SEC Championship final match against Auburn. The sophomore from South Africa also secured wins in both of her previous match play rounds against Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
“It’s every college golfer’s dream to win an SEC championship. That was the goal ever since I got here as a freshman,” Van Kan says. “Just sharing that incredible moment with the girls and with my coaches was just incredible and definitely something I’m going to cherish and remember for the rest of my life.”
‘It’s about the people’
In the days following the milestone win, Cantú was still trying to process the accomplishment because of the historical context.
“But in a way, I’m not surprised, because of how good of a team this is,” she says. “The entire year they have proven the caliber of players that we have, the success that we’ve had, the records we’ve broken, the scores that they have shot. In a way, it’s not surprising that they came to do this at this time of year.”
The SEC championship win was the fourth team victory of the season for the Lady Vols, which is a new program record. They have also had three different individual medalists for the first time in program history, with Van Kan, Madison Messimer, and Sophie Christopher earning the honors.
“We all remember what Pat Summitt said – it’s about the people. I love that we have great, great kids that happen to play great golf,” Cantú says. “When you have human beings with incredible character and values come together and enjoy each other and respect one another, I think that’s when magic can really happen.”
Before the season, the Lady Vols met to set their team goals and discuss what was required to accomplish them. They pushed each other during practice, never letting anyone cut corners or not give full effort. Cantú credits the team’s dedication and focus for helping the Lady Vols reach a new level.
“I think it’s the unrelenting belief that this is what we are capable of achieving,” she says. “This program has everything that it needs to be successful. It was just about putting the pieces of the puzzle together and bringing in kids that wanted to do it right, and that wanted to work really, really hard to create something special and to leave their mark and make history.”
Work to be done
Van Kan and her teammates have enjoyed getting to celebrate the historic SEC title. They realize how many Lady Vol alumni, including their head coach, paved the way for their breakthrough. They want to keep making them proud.
UT will play in the NCAA regionals May 11-13, and try to advance to the NCAA Championship for the second straight season.
“I think we really get to soak up this moment and then get back to work because we’re not running out of steam right now,” Van Kan says. “We still have big goals to do well at regionals, and obviously we’d all love to play at the national championship. I’m really excited for what’s to come and see what our game can do out there against some really good teams.”