RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Tennessee Vols Head Coach Karen Weekly could only hope that the Leach family from The Woodlands, Texas had more talented softball-playing daughters to recruit.
As it is, with the verbal commits this week of the youngest girls, twins Alannah and Gabby, that means four of Todd and Kaye Leach’s athletic girls will have suited up to play for the Vols and Head Coach Karen Weekly.
First there was Aubrey Leach, the two-time All-American infielder who played from 2016-19 and finished her prolific college career as the Vols’ all-time leader in runs (253) and walks (162) while ranking second in program history in career on-base percentage (.503).
In August, Aubrey returned to the school and is working as a grad assistant while working on her legal degree.
“Aubrey is one of the most driven and goal-oriented student-athletes I have ever coached, and her work ethic is unmatched,” Coach Weekly said. “She will bring those same attributes to our staff as a GA and provide a terrific role model for the current Lady Vols.”
The eldest of the four softball siblings played professionally the two years after graduating, first with Scrap Yard Fast Pitch in 2019 and then with the initial season of Athletes Unlimited in 2020, finishing 17th of the league’s 57 players in the points-based system
“I’m very excited about returning to Knoxville and the University of Tennessee,” Leach said in a release put up by UT when it was announced she was returning to her alma mater. “Even more so, I’m excited about helping Karen and the team in this new chapter for Tennessee softball. I’m thankful for the opportunity to give back to a program that provided so many opportunities for me.”
A month earlier, the SEC school announced the transfer of the second oldest sister, Kelcy Leach, a catcher who transferred in from Texas Tech and of whom Coach Weekly commented when the move was announced:
“Kelcy is exceptional behind the plate and a field general in every aspect,” Weekly said. “She’s really good at handling a staff and knowing how to communicate with each pitcher. I love her team-first mentality. Her knowledge and experience make her a great addition to our program.”
The backstop will join the Lady Vol program in January of 2022 after finishing up her bachelor’s degree in management at Texas Tech.
On Tuesday, the two younger siblings made it official that they too would be heading to Rocky Top when they announced via Twitter that they had committed:
GO VOLS🧡🤍@KarenWeekly @KateMalveaux @CoachMalveaux @Vol_Softball @sifastpitch @TWHSSoftball @ExtraInningSB pic.twitter.com/f01jBkFO1J
— Alannah Leach (@AlannahLeach) October 26, 2021
Go Vols🍊🧡
@KarenWeekly @CoachMalveaux @KateMalveaux @Vol_Softball @sifastpitch @TWHSSoftball @ExtraInningSB pic.twitter.com/PD5Xf3DD7f— Gabby Leach (@leach_gabby) October 26, 2021
It’s not like the Vols are throwing them a bone because of their talented older siblings, either; both Alanna and Gabby were ranked in the Top 20 of the 2023 Extra Elite 100 rankings.In their bios from earlier in 2021, it was noted that:
Alannah and Gabby are both 5-tool players although Alannah shades a bit more to the short game but loves to swing away and hit the gaps. This high school season, Alannah has hit over .500 and some who’ve followed them both feel the twins have “the stuff like Aubrey has” to be Top 10 prospects in their family before they graduate in a few years.
Gabby tends to sit and drive the ball move than her twin Alannah, but she can also drop a bunt, hit the 5/6 hole with a slap or even go for the fences (Gabby had her first grand slam this spring in high school ball). Gabby and Alannah both have good speed and are a threat on the base paths stealing bases. Their speed is also showcased in the outfield tracking down flyballs and both siblings have very strong arms with phenomenal accuracy. This Spring for her high school team, Gabby has it .424 with a strong on-base percentage of .548.
The youngest sisters currently player for their father in the Texas Sudden Impact organization; the athletes’ father has been a club coach for close to two decades.
Aubrey, it should be noted, will still be at the university finishing up her last year of law school while Kelcy will have finished her playing eligibility when the twins hit the campus to start their college careers in two years.
Some younger siblings don’t like to follow in the shadow of an accomplished older family member; we asked the twins if that was a factor at all—following Aubrey to Tennessee.
Specifically, did they like the fact they could follow in their big sisters’ footsteps or was it a concern at all?
“It was really awesome watching Aubrey play for the Lady Vols, and she would talk to us about the opportunities and support she received that helped her become an All-American and an Academic All-American at Tennessee,” Alannah and Gabby explained.
“Aubrey said Tennessee was a great environment to grow as a player and as a student, and we are so thankful that she was so successful and was able to open doors for us so we could make the right decision in schools. We are also lucky to have our other sister Kelcy play for the Lady Vols this Spring season as a graduate transfer, and she will be able pass on advice to us like Aubrey did.”
“We really don’t feel like we were trying to follow in their footsteps but rather we all found a school that met our needs and promotes our growth academically, spiritually, and athletically. We are truly excited about becoming a Lady Vol, and we are thankful and ready to write our own history at Tennessee.”
You get the impression that, family legacy or not, the twins would have found Tennessee to be their choice regardless.
“We decided on Tennessee for many reasons,” they added. “The atmosphere at Tennessee is truly amazing and the university is one of, if not the best university, to support their female student athletes and they treat them so well in every aspect.”
“Getting the opportunity to play at a SEC school and compete against the best softball players is an opportunity we could not pass up.”
“Also, we feel that Coach Karen and her coaching staff are great coaches and even better people that truly care about us. We believe they can help us improve on our skills to be able to compete at the highest level.”
“Becoming Lady Vols is a dream come true and an opportunity to continue the legacy of the ones that came before us.”