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Tennessee co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly are in complete agreement when the conversation turns to departing senior Tonya Callahan.

“She’s the best all-around player we’ve ever had, and there have been some good ones,’’ Ralph Weekly said.

“I’ve always felt she was the most complete player we’ve ever coached,’’ said Karen Weekly, who recruited Callahan out of Holden, Mo.

The former Lady Vols third baseman was named first team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American on Wednesday.

Callahan, who’s also a top-three finalist for the 2008 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year trophy, led the SEC with a .465 batting average, an .854 slugging percentage and a .630 on-base percentage.

Callahan left UT as the school’s all-time leader in home runs (51), RBIs (241), total bases (492), walks (154), slugging percentage (.646) and on-base percentage (.487).

“ I’ve never had a player as good as her in the three phases of the game: offense, defense and the mental part of the game,’’ Karen Weekly said. “Her progression as a student-athlete was a model of perfection in how she improved every year and got better in every phase of the game every year.’’

Callahan is the sixth Lady Vols softball player to earn first-team All-American honors, joining UT alums Monica Abbott (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), Kristi Durant (2005, 2006), Sarah Fekete (2005, 2006), Lindsay Schutzler (2005, 2006, 2007) and India Chiles (2007).

Callahan helped lead UT to its fifth consecutive 50-win season before the Lady Vols were eliminated by Virginia Tech. The Hokies, led by All-American pitcher Angela Tincher, went on to eliminate Michigan in Ann Arbor last weekend to advance to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.