Lady Vol Rylie West Named University of Tennessee Torchbearer
Senior Rylie West is surprised with a 2024 Torchbearer Award in the Sherri Parker Lee Stadium on March 20, 2024. (Photo by Breven Walker/University of Tennessee.)
Senior Rylie West never had any intention of moving across the country to play softball.
The Eastvale, California, native wanted to visit an SEC school, just to keep her options open. During her visit to Rocky Top, she liked the supportive atmosphere for women’s sports at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Combined with the opportunity to compete in the toughest NCAA Division I softball conference in the nation, the Tennessee Vols culture, and beauty of the campus, West felt UT was where she was destined to be.
She has excelled in the classroom, on the softball field, in the community, and as a college student; in recognition of this, West was named a UT Torchbearer—the university’s highest undergraduate honor.
“As an athlete, there are so many accomplishments that you strive for, but I think even if I won a national championship, being a Torchbearer would mean more to me just because it means I’m more than an athlete. I’m more than a jersey. I’m more than a sport,” West said. “That’s something you always want to say as an athlete, and it’s not always confirmed, but this award just confirmed that I’ve made a difference within my community, in my time here, and I’ve carried the torch well.”
Torchbearers are seniors who have served their alma mater with overall excellence. Seven students were named Torchbearers this year. West is one of two School of Journalism and Media students to receive the award in 2024, the other of which is The Daily Beacon Editor Abby Ann Ramsey.
A Leader On and Off The Field
West said she would not have had the same amazing collegiate experience she didif she wasn’t an athlete.
She said being a student-athlete taught her she can do anything she sets her mind to. She has also acquired many soft skills, such as better time management and how to work through adversity and challenges, that will benefit her for a lifetime.
“It’s just really amazing to see what I’ve been able to do while playing a sport,” West said. “I never thought I would be involved in so many things and connected to as many opportunities because I play a sport. It has just meant everything to be able to represent the University of Tennessee and be a Lady Vol because it goes deeper than just playing the sport.”
West said participating in the VOLeaders Academy was one of the most impactful experiences in her life at UT. The academy seeks “to cultivate positive student-athlete leaders through sport to create positive social change.” She said the year-long class taught her what type of leader she is and how to be competent and effective in that leadership style.
Traveling to Rwanda was also part of her experience with the academy where she got the chance to do some social good through sport. This includes hosting community events where children can learn the fundamentals of basketball while also providing a way for women in the community to be tested for different diseases. They also provided shoes to Rwandan children who came to an event to learn tennis and the importance of being physically active.
“Going to Rwanda was the most life-changing experience and I think about it literally every single day,” West said. “I’m so grateful for what sport has done for me and I know it’s made an impact on so many lives, even halfway across the world.”
West is also a board member of V.O.I.C.E, a black student-athlete council that provides a safe space for athletes of color to share experiences, educate allies, and engage in community service.
She also works a lot with Girls Inc of Tennessee Valley with the Lady Vol softball team. The team helps teach young girls how to play sports after school. West recalls how being friends with older girls was impactful on her life, so she enjoys being paying that forward through Girls Inc.
West also leads by example, securing several accolades throughout her college career, both academically and athletically. This includes being chosen for the 2022 SEC community service team in recognition of her community service efforts, multiple SEC academic honor roll recognitions, being named a 2021 Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Scholar Athlete, and making the dean’s list every year. She was also part of the 2023 softball team that captured UT’s first SEC regular season championship since 2007 and its first SEC Tournament title since 2011—the only time in program history the Lady Vols secured both crowns in the same season.
Building Community Through Sports Communication
West is majoring in journalism and media with a minor in advertising and public relations. West got involved with her high school newspaper alongside playing softball and other sports such as basketball and soccer. She liked telling stories and learning about other people.
She gravitated towards sports journalism and communication, hoping to leverage her experiences and knowledge of sports as an asset in her journalism.
As a student, she has worked with VFL Films, which handles broadcasting and other video production for Tennessee Athletics. She said her schedule makes it tough, as they are normally filming her and her teammates on the softball field, but she has had opportunities to learn more about filming and editing sports videos.
She also interned with the Tennessee Athletics Strategic Communications Department, where she helped staff with tasks such as writing player bios and managing social media pages for teams. She worked alongside journalism and media alumnus Josh Lively (‘16, ‘19) who is the assistant strategic communications director for the Tennessee Vols volleyball and swim teams.
West also co-hosts the O’Rylie Show on The Players’ Lounge Tennessee. Founded by former Georgia running back Keith Marshall, the Players’ Lounge is a media platform that allows student-athletes to create and share content as a way to tell their own stories and engage with fans.
When The Players’ Lounge sought to expand to UT, West said they contacted fellow student-athlete and journalism and media major Omari Thomas who then recruited her to join the show. She said she and Thomas were brainstorming a way to document their senior years prior to The Players’ Lounge reaching out, so they were excited to participate.
West and Thomas curate content for the show and often feature other student athletes from different Tennessee Vols sports teams and cover various topics. One of her favorite discussions so far has been about faith and sports. West said the vision of the show is to highlight there is more to student-athletes than what is seen on the field, pitch, or court.
West plans to enroll in the master’s program at the College of Communication and Information with a focus on journalism and media. She is not ready to leave Rocky Top and, while her educational experiences may change slightly, she feels more than prepared for what the future holds.
“I don’t think that being a Torchbearer means, ‘Okay, it stops now.’,” West said. “It’s just confirmation that you made a difference in the small community here and can go make a bigger difference outside of the community and in the world. I’m just grateful that the university has put me in a position that allows me to make a difference and impact the lives of others.”
Lady Vol Rylie West Named University of Tennessee Torchbearer written by Ernest Rollins and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.