By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS / AP Sports Writer KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — No marquee names, no problem for the Tennessee Lady Vols. Without well-known players like Kara Lawson, Tamika Catchings or Chamique Holdsclaw, top-seeded Tennessee (28-3) reached the round of 16 for the 23rd straight year with hopes of winning a seventh national title and…

By JANIE McCAULEY / AP Sports Writer Vanderbilt’s Matt Freije looks over to teammates from the post during practice Wednesday, March 24, 2004 at the America West Arena in Phoenix. Vanderbilt meets Connecticut Thursday in NCAA regional semi-final game. (AP Photo/Joe Cavaretta) PHOENIX (AP) — Matt Freije’s family sure would have been thrilled if Kansas…

By JANIE McCAULEY / AP Sports Writer STALLINGS PHOENIX (AP) — The last thing Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings wants is to get into a running game with Connecticut. In that situation, the Commodores will almost certainly lose. “I think if the game is a track meet, we are going to be in trouble, because they’re…

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans confirmed Wednesday that they have agreed to terms on a multiyear contract with backup quarterback Billy Volek, and general manager Floyd Reese said they couldn’t be happier. “Both Billy and the team have invested a lot of time in preparing him for this role, and we feel confident in…

This year’s MTSU Jazz Festival, which will feature a performance by internationally known saxophonist, recording artist and jazz composer Benny Golson, will get under way April 16 and 17, with two evenings of concerts and a full day of performances and educational activities.The annual festival will begin with a concert by the acclaimed Middle Tennessee…

Fall Creek Falls State Park officials announce the park’s annual Wildflower Pilgrimage is set for April 2-4. The pilgrimage is a delightful family event that offers a variety of outdoor activities.Come see spring wildflowers such as trillium, bloodroot, trout lily and others in full bloom. Slide shows, spring talks and a variety of hikes; easy…

Spring is a time for more than just April showers and May flowers. It’s also time for the 6th Annual Celebration of Craft.Set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, at the Appalachian Center for Craft, a satellite campus of Tennessee Tech University, the Celebration supports the Craft Center’s educational outreach programs…

The McLean School of Music’s MTSU Opera Workshop players will perform “On the Edge,” a collection of various opera scenes, at 7:30 p.m. April 2 in the Wright Music Building Music Hall on the MTSU campus.“This spring production depicts several characters who are on the edge,” said Raphael Bundage, MTSU choral professor and musical director…

By EMILY FREDRIX / Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — It was just a one-day stint as a page in the Georgia Senate. But it was enough to get a then 11-year-old Marie Wilson interested in politics. “I said, ‘That’s for me.’ People form their opinions early,” said Wilson, a political activist who is spearheading…

By CALVIN WOODWARD / Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s the presidential campaign season, gasoline prices are climbing, and the challenger is demanding that the president get more oil on the market and stop foreign suppliers from “holding our nation and our consumers hostage.” So it went in 2000, with the Republican challenger George…